Our Work > Building Electrification

Building Electrification

Developing integrated solutions to swiftly eliminate fossil fuels from buildings

What is the building electrification program?

The building electrification team works with policymakers, NGOs, and other stakeholders to tackle a significant piece of the US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions puzzle: direct emissions from buildings.

Why it matters

Seventy million homes and businesses across the country burn natural gas, oil, or propane on-site to heat space and water and cook food, generating 600 million tons of CO2 each year—a tenth of total US emissions. Factor in the latest estimates of methane leakage, and that number rises to as much as one billion tons. States and cities won’t meet their ambitious climate goals without a concerted effort to curb these emissions; however, the problem is currently unattended and getting worse.

What we’re doing

Education: Raising awareness among policymakers, regulators, media, and the public regarding the climate and health risks associated with burning fossil fuels, both indoors and outdoors.

Driving ambitious solutions: Building a diverse coalition of partners to develop the policies and technical and regulatory guidance needed to swiftly eliminate fossil fuels in buildings.

Scaling action equitably: Demonstrating success among first-mover states, cities, and businesses to scale those actions across the country, and doing so equitably for all residents.