It is not practical, economical, or ecologically sound to force residents to replace gas appliances with electric ones. Requiring electric appliances for new construction or during extensive remodels makes sense.
But much of the aging housing in Menlo Park with gas appliances doesn't have enough electric service to support electric appliances. Replacing gas with electric could force a homeowner to spend upwards of $25,000 to drop new electric service, jackhammer through their slab, break open walls, rewire the entire house, replace all their circuit breaker panels, redo kitchen cabinetry, and lose close space to house replacement furnaces or water heaters.
It's just not practical. Not to mention the waste in hauling perfectly good gas appliances to the dump when they have decades of useful life in them.
I urge you to reject the EQC report. Instead, please require all-electric for new construction and as part of extensive remodels, and provide an incentive for residents to change gas to electric - as an option and not as a requirement.
Sue Kayton
1854 Doris Drive
Menlo Park CA 94025
650-853-1711
