Washington passed a mandate requiring all newly constructed buildings to have all-electric heating, making it the first state in the US to do so.
The mandate restricting the use of natural gas in multifamily housing complexes and commercial buildings by requiring the installation of electric heat pumps passed 11 to three in a vote by the State Building Code Council. The mandate will go into effect in July of next year.
For smaller residential buildings, a similar mandate will be considered in the coming months.
Under the revised energy code, new buildings will be equipped with heat pumps instead of HVAC systems powered by natural gas. Electric heat pumps will also be responsible for heating at least 50 percent of the water. For more information on how heat pumps work, check out this article we wrote about the benefits of an all-electric home.
The only exceptions under Washington’s mandate include hospitals, research facilities, and select other buildings such as those in cooler parts of the state where winter temperatures drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Though other cities across the nation have also banned natural gas in new buildings, barring a few exceptions, Washington’s is the first at state-level.
