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The New Economics of Electrifying Buildings

An Analysis of Seven Cities

By Amar Shah, Claire McKenna, and Leah Louis-Prescott

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As states and cities across the United States work to cut carbon emissions from every sector, they’re starting to tackle a crucial transition: eliminating fossil fuels in buildings. Burning fossil fuels, primarily gas, to heat space and water and cook food poses a risk to climate goals and public health. Thus, spurring the shift to modern, electric appliances like heat pumps becomes critical.

To help inform these decisions, we are expanding and improving upon our previous economic analysis to give a full picture of the cost of all-electric housing, starting with new, single-family homes. Below you’ll find the results for seven US cities: Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Columbus, OH; Denver, CO; Minneapolis, MN; New York City, NY; and Seattle, WA.

To read more about this work, see our accompanying article, All-Electric New Homes: A Win for the Climate and the Economy.

About the Authors

Amar Shah

Amar Shah

Manager

Claire McKenna

Leah Louis-Prescott

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