The City of Austin's new climate action plan - the Austin Climate Equity Plan - is available for public comment until September 30. In many ways, the plan signals a big step forward for our community. Acknowledging the urgency of the climate crisis, it sets an ambitious new goal of reducing Austin's greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040.

Unfortunately, Texas Gas, which supplies most homes and businesses with natural gas throughout Austin, is fiercely lobbying to weaken the plan. Not only has Texas Gas already managed to shift the focus away from building electrification, but they have removed the goal that addressing the necessary reduction of natural gas emissions.

Building electrification (i.e. designing buildings that don't have any natural gas appliances) is widely acknowledged to be the best option when it comes to mitigating climate pollution, in large part because Austin Energy's electricity comes from primarily renewable energy sources. For Austinites who want to use rooftop or community solar to cover their energy usage, electric buildings are the best (and only!) way to do that. Electric buildings also support healthier indoor air quality and are more affordable, thanks to advancements in heat pump technology.

If the City of Austin is serious about achieving net-zero by 2040, building electrification needs to be incorporated as a core strategy in the Austin Climate Equity Plan.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT SUPPORTING BUILDING ELECTRIFICATION