HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-07-20; Work to Date on Electrification of New Buildings (Districts - All); Gomez, PazTo t he me mbers of th~:
CllY COUNCIL
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July 20, 2023
Council Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Me s of the City Council
From: Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager¥-l-l~,!,Mf,l__,rks
Via: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Man er
Re: Work to Date on Electrification of ew uildings (Districts -All}
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2023071
This memorandum provides a summary of work to date on electrification of new buildings in the
City of Carlsbad.
Background
On April 19, 2022, a minute motion was made by City Council to "research options to add an
ordinance addressing electrification in new buildings in the City of Carlsbad to the next Climate
Action Plan draft in 2023." Staff currently plan to present the Climate Action Plan (CAP) Update
to the City Council on October 17, 2023, which will include addressing building electrification as a
potential measure.
Furthermore, to align data and modeling used to forecast growth assumptions in Carlsbad with
other concurrent city efforts, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2022-094 on
April 19, 2022, directing staff to use a customized run of the San Diego Association of
Governments (SANDAG)'s most recent Activity Based Model (ABM2+) tailored for Carlsbad in the
CAP Update. This customized data can also be utilized for the assumptions and modeling in the
Housing Element rezone work.
Shortly after the April 19, 2022, City Council meeting, staff utilized an existing professional
services agreement with the Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) at the University of San Diego
School of Law to prepare a report on new building electrification options, as well as the other
topics identified during public comment and discussion of the agenda item.
Since the April 19, 2022, City Council meeting, delivery of the ABM2+ data was delayed
numerous times. Ultimately, SANDAG released a general memo on September 30, 2022, to all
jurisdictions and private entities that had pending modeling projects indicating there was at least
a six-to seven-month additional delay for requested data. The delay was attributed to the
SAN DAG Board of Directors' direction to remove the road usage charge from the 2021 Regional
Plan.
Public Works Branch
Environmental Sustainability Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2729 t
Council Memo -Work to Date on Electrification of New Buildings (Districts -All)
July 20, 2023
Page 2
On November 3, 2022, Community Development staff sent a Council Memorandum on the
Housing Element Implementation Status Update. To ensure the Housing Element rezone work
meets the state deadline, staff utilized contingency funds to have the transportation sub-
consultant complete the necessary travel demand modeling work.
On April 20, 2023, Public Works staff sent a Council Memorandum on the status of the CAP
Update, which included the November 3, 2022, Council Memorandum, and informed the City
Council that staff would present on the CAP Annual Report and the building electrification
motion status on May 9, 2023.
Staff received the ABM2+ customized model data in May 2023, allowing t he city's project team
to move forward with preparing calculations and analyses for the CAP Update. Because of the
unexpected delays related to the ABM2+ data and CAP Update, the earliest opportunity to
present the electrification report prepared by EPIC was on May 9, 2023, which was on the same
day that the CAP Annual Report was presented.
As docketing for this item was well underway, a Ninth Circuit Court ruling on California
Restaurant Association vs. City of Berkeley was published. When the item was presented, the City
of Berkeley had until May 31, 2023, to file a petition for rehearing.
Included in the staff presentation of the EPIC report on May 9, 2023, was an explanation of an
"electric preferred" reach code as a pathway to comply with the Ninth Circuit's ruling. Analysis
related to this type of reach code was also included in the report prepared by EPIC.
Following a discussion of the potential timeframe for a court decision on a petition for rehearing,
the City Council approved a motion to wait and see what would happen with the pending
May 31, 2023, deadline and directed staff to return on July 11, 2023, with an update.
Discussion
On July 11, 2023, staff presented an update on the electrification options and the California
Restaurant Association vs. City of Berkeley opinion and the subsequent petition for a rehearing
request. Since May 9, 2023, the City of Berkeley filed for a rehearing. The California Restaurant
Association's deadline to file an answer to the City of Berkeley's request was recently extended
to August 10, 2023, and the California Restaurant Association had not yet filed an answer by the
time of the presentation.
At the July 11, 2023, meeting, the City Council made a minute motion for staff to return on
September 12, 2023, with information on an "electric preferred" reach code, what other
jurisdictions in the state have done with "electric preferred" reach codes, an est imate of cost and
time to prepare such a reach code, and any other relevant updates.
Council Memo -Work to Date on Electrification of New Buildings (Districts -All)
July 20, 2023
Page 3
Next Steps
Staff will continue to monitor updates related to the California Restaurant Association vs. City of
Berkeley petition for an en bane rehearing.
On September 12, 2023, staff will provide the City Council with an update to the building
electrification item from the July 11, 2023, City Council meeting consistent with the minute
motion described above.
On October 17, 2023, staff will present a suite of candidate measures for possible inclusion in the
draft CAP Update to the City Council for consideration. After making any needed revisions, the
formal draft of the CAP Update and environmental document will be released for public review,
. followed by a presentation of the final CAP Update to the City Council for adoption. Staff
anticipate that the CAP Update will be completed by early to mid-2024.
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Ron Kemp, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer
Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director
Vicki Quiram, Utilities Director
Kristina Ray, Community & Engagement Director
James Wood, Environmental Sustainability Director
Gina Herrera, Deputy City Attorney
John Maashoff, Public Works Manager
Mike Strong, Community Development Assistant Director
Eric Lardy, City Planner
Natalie Reed, Community Relations Manager
Katie Hentrich, Senior Program Manager