But are such bans necessary? And what impact will they have on people who live in those cities? Here’s a closer look.
1, 2022, equipment for space and hot water heating in new low-rise residential buildings must be zero emissions.
31, 2023, it will be illegal to replace existing furnaces with any sort of heating system powered by fossil fuels.
That can include more traditional but less efficient options, such as baseboard heaters and electric furnaces.
Yes.
The ban includes heating, hot water and cooking appliances, although there are exceptions for laundromats and commercial kitchens.
Mike Henchen is the principal of the carbon-free buildings program at RMI, a U.S.-based think-tank focused on the clean energy transition.
New construction is being targeted largely because electrification of a new home is cheap and relatively simple, Bataille said.
The Canadian Gas Association says it disagrees with bans on energy sources “because they take away customers’ ability to choose what is best for them, based on their needs and circumstances.” It told CBC’s What On Earth that they also kill opportunities for developing solutions such as renewable natural gas , hydrogen and carbon capture.
Enbridge Inc.
FortisBC, which delivers natural gas and electricity to customers in British Columbia, successfully lobbied for Vancouver to allow an exception for renewable natural gas in its new regulations.
Policies are also needed to electrify existing buildings, and gas bans alone aren’t the right solution, given the cost of retrofits, Bataille said.
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