All-Electric Appliances To Be The Future Of Howard County Homes With New Bill

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard County Council voted 4-1 this week to jumpstart the process of ending the use of fossil fuels in almost all newly constructed buildings.

Bill CB5-2023, “The Clean New Buildings Climate Act,” was introduced by Councilmember Christiana Rigby. It directs the county executive to report by the end of 2023 on needed changes to the county building code to ensure that future homes and buildings in Howard County rely on all-electric appliances.

In Howard County, 11 percent of the county’s climate pollution comes from combusting fossil fuels such as gas, heating oil and propane in buildings. By beginning the process to electrify new buildings, this legislation will help Howard County meet its goal to reduce emissions 60 percent by 2030.

"Building electrification and decarbonization is not a question of if. It is a question of when and how," Rigby said. "Next year, when the Council considers legislation that will update the County's building code, the report resulting from the Clean New Buildings Climate Act will ensure that my colleagues and I are informed and prepared."

A growing body of peer-reviewed science shows that the fossil gas piped into many of America’s homes can create significant childhood asthma and other respiratory problems during combustion, as well as constantly leaking cancer-related chemical compounds. Both the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association have recently warned consumers about the dangers of using fossil gas.