On April 17, 2023, as a result of a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling concerning the City of Berkeley's ordinance prohibiting natural gas in new buildings, the San Luis Obispo City Council voted to direct the City Manager and Community Development Director to temporarily suspend enforcement of the all-electric building requirement for new buildings (SLOMC Chapter 8.11.) The Administrative Order adopted under this direction outlining the conditions of the suspended enforcement is available here. 

On September 19, 2023,  the City Council approved an interim approach to making progress on the City’s climate action goals when it comes to new buildings. This ordinance requires new homes, apartments, and commercial buildings to be more energy efficient than state requirements. The ordinance incentivizes new buildings to include additional electric appliances and mechanical systems, while allowing mixed-fuel (natural gas and electricity) buildings, so as long as they include additional energy efficiency measures. This ordinance came into effect on January 1, 2024. 

As of January 1st 2023, the Clean Energy Program for New Buildings requires all new buildings in San Luis Obispo to be all-electric. The program also includes funding for technical assistance to builders to help them successfully process permits for all-electric buildings and direction to advocate for financial incentives.  The program is codified in the City's municipal code here. Please note that enforcement of this provision is currently on pause. In its place the City adopted and is enforcing the New Buildings Energy Efficiency Reach Code. Learn more about why here.