California proposes to steer new homes from gas appliances

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s energy policy and planning agency wants to transition new homes away from gas-powered appliances.

The California Energy Commission released a draft building standards code on Thursday that would require new homes to be equipped with circuits and panels that support all-electric appliances for heating, cooking and drying clothes.

The commission is set to adopt the updated code in August, and it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2023, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

While the code doesn’t explicitly forbid gas, the commission hopes it will lead builders to construct all-electric structures as part of a growing effort to eliminate fossil fuels from buildings, which account for about one-quarter of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

“We’re encouraging the technologies of the future,” energy commissioner Andrew McAllister said.