Beneficial Electrification: Path to Carbon-free Buildings in Longmont
Project Update (10/12/22): City Council accepted the Beneficial Building Electrification Plan, and staff and partners are getting work underway on plan strategies.
Growing awareness of the shared global climate emergency has prompted a sharp increase in the number of American cities considering the shift toward beneficial building electrification. In fact, building electrification was one of several specific recommendations identified in the Climate Action Recommendation Report developed by the Climate Action Task Force and adopted by City Council in late 2020.
To act on the recommendation, the City will explore electrification options carefully, explain implications clearly, and implement actions in phases with care and oversight. Our objective is to reduce Longmont’s commercial and residential use of fossil fuels by 2030 with an eye toward maintaining or improving the affordability of local housing stock. Efforts are underway to develop a workable and comprehensive beneficial building electrification plan that is both ambitious and realistic, offering a sound approach for the next few years and the coming decade.
Q&A
The City is embarking on a planning process that will guide policy and program development related to electrification in homes and businesses in Longmont. Electrification in general is a complicated topic that touches on current and future technologies, energy sources, electricity fuel mix, transportation technologies, air quality, and carbon accounting. As we learn more about building electrification implications for Longmont, we want to bring you along with us. Please share any questions you may have so that we can have an open dialogue that informs planning for the City.