From a City of Piedmont press release on April 28:
The City of Piedmont is soliciting letters of interest from community members willing to serve on a task force that would help develop a plan for how to electrify Piedmont’s existing residential buildings.
The Building Electrification Strategy Task Force, appointed by the City Administrator, will work with staff to better understand existing barriers to home electrification and create a strategic framework for equitably moving Piedmont’s building stock off of natural gas.
Residential building electrification essential for meeting Climate Action goals
Transitioning Piedmont’s existing residential buildings from natural gas to clean electricity as soon as possible is crucial for meeting the ambitious emission reduction targets established by the City’s Climate Action Plan.
Despite substantial investment in climate action work – which has earned a Beacon Spotlight Award for Sustainability Best Practices from the Institute for Local Government for two consecutive years – Piedmont is not presently on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
The gap is largely due to natural gas use in residential buildings, which accounts for roughly half of Piedmont’s in-territory emissions. Because much of Piedmont’s housing stock is old and large, heating and cooling these homes requires greater than average energy use. For each year between 2017 and 2020, annual emissions just from residential buildings exceeded Climate Action Plan targets for total emissions in Piedmont by 2050. Most of these emissions came from natural gas furnaces and water heaters.
The City is now seeking to draw on the wealth of expertise within our community to create a strategic plan for expediting this transition. The Task Force will be charged with developing an Existing Building Electrification Strategy that will guide future policies and programs related to residential building electrification.
Submit letters of interest by Tuesday, May 16
Staff have approached several community members who have previously engaged with the City on electrification and sustainability initiatives about their potential interest in serving on the task force. To ensure that the task force incorporates diverse perspectives and wide-ranging expertise, we are also soliciting interest from the community at large.
If you think you can help, send an email to ElectrificationTaskForce@piedmont.ca.gov letting us know:
• Why you’re interested in serving on the task force
• What unique skills, experience, or perspective you would bring
Submit your letter of interest by Tuesday, May 16th. The City anticipates making task force appointments by the end of May.
For questions about letters of interest or the Electrification Task Force, contact Assistant City
Administrator/City Clerk John Tulloch at jtulloch@piedmont.ca.gov or (510) 420-3041.