The Montgomery County Council passed climate legislation Tuesday mandating the creation of all-electric standards for certain new construction, over concerns from some in the development industry concerning feasibility, costs and consumer preference.
All-electric essentially means no natural gas, propane or fuel oil equipment or appliances — gas furnaces and boilers, for example — or plumbing for such equipment or appliances. The county council unanimously passed the so-called Comprehensive Building Decarbonization Bill, requiring the county executive to promulgate code standards in two phases to require many kinds of nonexempt new buildings to make the shift to all-electric systems: by 2026 for new commercial, as well as new residential up to three stories, including single-family homes; and by 2027 for new residential that’s four or more stories tall, certain affordable housing and schools.
In 2017, something like 40% of statewide greenhouse gas emissions owed to buildings, according to the Washington Business Journal’s analysis of figures cited in the 2021 Maryland Building Decarbonization Study. That’s mostly due to buildings’ electricity consumption, but also to direct emissions from space and water heating. The next biggest greenhouse gas culprit in Maryland is transportation, especially passenger vehicles. Industry and agriculture account for less than you might think.
