Using natural gas, oil and other fuels in our buildings creates pollution that harms people and the environment. By switching to electric heating, cooling, and water heating technologies like heat pumps, which use City Light’s carbon-neutral energy, we could reduce our region’s greenhouse gas emissions by 37%. Alongside power grid improvements, building electrification can create cleaner air to breathe, reduce monthly household costs, and improve comfort and safety during extreme weather.
City Light has developed a Building Electrification Strategy with the goal of partnering with customers and communities to deliver equitable and affordable building decarbonization. The strategy’s development was informed by community feedback, technical research, and workshops and centered on three core values: equity, environment, and operating the grid as an asset to deliver public good.
The electrification of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings is key to meeting City, regional, and state carbon reduction goals. Building electrification can also help City Light optimize grid resources to keep our electricity reliable and affordable for all customers.
How We Can Help
As a carbon-neutral energy utility, City Light plays an important role in supporting affordable and equitable decarbonization for our customers. City Light is currently developing a building electrification strategy to guide our outreach and education, programmatic solutions, strategic partnerships, technology demonstrations, process and service innovation, and grid modernization and planning.
Seattle's Commitment to Reducing Emissions from Buildings
The City of Seattle has established policies to reduce greenhouse gases emissions:
- City of Seattle’s Building Emissions Performance Standard sets carbon-emissions targets that buildings over 20,000 sq. ft. meet over time and is projected to reduce building emissions 27% by 2050.
- The Seattle Energy Code for new commercial buildings and large multifamily buildings above three stories requires that space and water heating be electric for new construction and major retrofits.
- The Green New Deal (via Executive Order 2020-01) requires that municipal buildings lead by example in adoption of building electrification measures.