Seattle council approves ban on gas heating in new apartments, commercial buildings

Seattle City Council has approved a ban on natural gas space and water heating in new construction on apartments, hotels, and commercial buildings.

The council voted unanimously to approve the ban, which was passed in addition to a separate vote to bring the city into alignment with other Washington state building codes. The citywide ban on natural gas space heating will take effect for qualifying new buildings on June 1, 2021, with the gas water heating ban going into effect in 2022 to “allow time for the market to adapt.”

Councilmember Dan Strauss — who sponsored the bill — pointed to an 8.3% in carbon emissions from buildings in the city between 2016 and 2018 as one of the driving reasons for getting the bill passed. It’s estimated that the ban will reduce building emissions by “at least 12%” by 2050.

“With this update, Seattle will have one of the most forward-thinking energy codes in the country, and would be setting an example the rest of the state can follow,” Strauss said Monday.

https://mynorthwest.com/2532802/seattle-council-approves-ban-on-gas-heating-in-new-apartments-commercial-buildings/