City council members: I have emailed you previously about my views on this topic and I wish to reiterate my views before you discuss the issues at your next meeting on August 31, 2021. Firstly, I wish to state out right that I do believe in climate change and I do think that requiring all new, from the ground up construction to be all electric is a prudent policy. But requiring the replacement of pre-existing natural gas devices should these appliances need replacement with electric devices is not prudent and is not cost effective for the homeowners involved. The cost to retrofit a home from gas to electric is very expensive and much more so than city staff estimates ranging from $555.00 to $2775.00 and would entail, for many homeowners, extensive costs involved including rewiring the entire home electrical system, upgrading of electrical panels, construction costs related to bringing the electrical power to the device and the costs related to bringing the home cosmetically back to its appearance prior before the retrofit. Adoption of any ordinance requiring the replacement of natural gas appliances should they need replacement with electric appliances is akin to requiring the owner of a petroleum powered vehicle (automobile) to convert his vehicle from petroleum powered to electric should the vehicles engine need replacement. Such an idea is nonsensical. The analogy is applicable and to the point. Yes…adopt an ordinance requiring all electric appliances in new construction. But do not adopt any ordinance requiring such a mandate on homes with preexisting natural gas appliances that need replacement.
Barry Robbins. robbinsbarry@hotmail.com. 1340 San Mateo Drive, Menlo Park, Ca.
Sent from my iPad
