California Code Change Favors Electric, Stops Short of Gas Ban

California energy regulators plan to update building codes to favor electric appliances but stopped short of an approach that will shun natural gas connections.

Code changes sought by the California Energy Commission will lower greenhouse gas emissions, increase efficiency, and help the state meet its long-term climate goals, Commissioner J. Andrew McAllister said during a briefing Friday.

“This building code is the most aggressive decarbonizing state code in the country,” he said. “It ensures buildings are as energy-efficient as is technically feasible and cost-effective.”

The commission didn’t have authority to outright ban natural gas but that the update signals a ...