Marin County Mandates Building Electrification

Starting January 1, all new buildings in the county must be electric-powered, while multifamily apartment buildings will be required to provide electric car chargers.

1 minute read

November 23, 2022, 11:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


California’s Marin County will require all new buildings to be powered by electricity starting January 1. According to an article by Jack Rogers in Globe St., “The county’s board of supervisors voted unanimously to enact the requirement, designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of natural gas, the Mercury News reported.”

The ordinance also addresses electric car charging infrastructure in multifamily buildings—“The county is requiring that 15% of new multifamily units with parking spaces have level 2 charging stations, which exceeds the state requirement, which is limited to 5%”—and enacts stricter efficiency standards for building additions and remodels.

“The tougher rules for renovations apply to single-family homes of more than 750 SF,” Rogers notes. “Owners will be required to implement additional energy efficiency and electrifications, including several options, but the county has opted not to required [sic] all-electric renovations at this time.”

In 2019, nearby Berkeley banned natural gas lines in new buildings, citing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the climate and public health.

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