While the Passive House standard does not require electrification of buildings, many projects strive to entirely avoid the use of gas, and now in at least one town in the state they’ll have to just that. This past month, the Town of Brookline officially adopted a bylaw that prohibits the installation of oil and gas pipes in new homes and in renovations of existing homes.
The bylaw prohibits the installation of new gas and oil piping in both new buildings and gut renovations, requiring that new buildings be outfitted with all-electric heating, hot water and appliances Exemptions were made for backup generators, cooking, laboratories and medical offices, and for central domestic hot water systems in large buildings. This means that energy used for space heating, hot water and other building needs will need to rely solely on electricity.
While there was some opposition from the fossil fuel industry and from developers, the bylaw was overwhelming passed in town meeting by a vote of 207 to 3, with some of this support coming only after exemptions for cooking were made.
Interested in learning more about this bylaw, how it was passed, and its impact on other communities? Join the Mass Climate Action Network for a live webinar on Wednesday, January 8th from 7:00-8:00pm. Details here.
Read more:
“In a first for Massachusetts, Brookline votes to ban gas…” – The Boston Globe
“Brookline adopts ban on new gas and oil infrastructure in major construction” – Brookline Tab