Title
Energy Commission resolution recommending that the Ann Arbor Planning Commission and City Council require all-electric appliances at the Village of Ann Arbor (1680 Dhu Varren Road)
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WHEREAS, Fossil fuel combustion, procurement and transportation produce significant greenhouse gas emissions that raise global temperatures, which are already at harmful levels, leading to extreme weather events, droughts, massive flooding, and resultant death and displacement of thousands of people worldwide;
WHEREAS, building emissions account for an estimated 65% of the city’s overall emissions (excluding scope 3 emissions), with emissions from the combustion of natural gas accounting for approximately half of residential building emissions;
WHEREAS, it is critical that new building construction be all-electric, in order to avoid locking in new greenhouse gas emissions for decades going forward;
WHEREAS, City Council on November 4, 2019 approved a resolution declaring a climate emergency and setting a goal of achieving a just transition to community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030 (R-19-498);
WHEREAS, City Council at its June 1, 2020 meeting adopted the Living A2ZERO Ann Arbor Carbon Neutrality Plan (R-20-193), incorporating the 2030 goal;
WHEREAS, Strategy 2 of the A2ZERO plan is “Switch our Appliances and Vehicles from Gasoline, Diesel, Propane, Coal, and Natural Gas to Electric”;
WHEREAS, Strategy 2, Action 1 of the A2ZERO plan is “Promote Home & Business Electrification,” and includes the following assumption: “All new residential and commercial buildings are designed and built to operate without the use of natural gas, reducing the increased cost associated with retrofitting existing systems.”
WHEREAS, continuing to place natural gas infrastructure in new buildings virtually ensures that the city will fail to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, because of the expense of retrofitting all-electric systems into building envelopes and internal HVAC systems designed to utilize natural gas;
WHEREAS, Robertson Brothers Co. is proposing to construct at least 484 dwelling units on approximately 65 acres at 1680 Dhu Varren Road (city project #SP21-024);
WHEREAS, the Ann Arbor Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on July 19, 2022, on the Village of Ann Arbor site plan and rezoning to R4A (multiple-family dwelling) zoning for City Council approval;
RESOLVED, that the Ann Arbor Energy Commission urges the Planning Commission and City Council to encourage all buildings in The Village be constructed with fully electric appliances for space and water heating, and for cooking; and
RESOLVED, that the appliances for space heating shall be electric heat pumps, utilizing ground or air sources of ambient heat, with an efficiency rating of SEER 18 or higher.
Final as Amended by the Energy Commission on July 12, 2022