WATSONVILLE — As California continues to work to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, one way it is doing so is through expediting the construction of new homes with appliances that run off electricity, not gas.
California’s Senate Bill 100, approved by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018, set a goal of 100% renewable and zero-carbon resources to power all retail electricity sales and state agency electricity needs by 2045. Additionally, in 2021, the California Energy Commission approved a new building code requiring most new homes and buildings to have at least one highly efficient heat pump for space or water heating and for stoves to be powered through electricity rather than gas. The new code went into effect in 2023.
Agencies like Central Coast Community Energy are offering rebates and incentives to encourage homeowners and builders to make the switch as part of its Electrify Your Home program, which it will be presenting information on in a community workshop at the Watsonville Public Library Nov. 7…