Brickbat: It's a Gas, Gas, Gas
(Tomislav Pinter | Dreamstime.com)
San Francisco's Board of Supervisors is set to vote on an ordinance proposed by Board President Rafael Mandelman that would ban natural gas in residential and commercial buildings undergoing major renovations, requiring all-electric systems for permitting, a move supporters say will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health. The policy, building on a 2020 ban for new buildings, targets projects altering over two-thirds of a building's walls or ceilings or renovating load-bearing elements supporting over 30 percent of floors, affecting an estimated 785,000 square feet of residential and 250,000 square feet of commercial renovations each year. Critics say the law would deter building upgrades and renovations.