Welcome to the Peoples Republic of Santa Monica, CA

How do all of these new “Regulations” effect the Little People who have to live their lives under the boot of the government? Not much more effect than the folks of Santa Monica. Yesterday I posted Biden’s new energy regulations, over one hundred of them, that practically covers everything in your house. From the big items of gas furnaces, gas stoves, room air conditioners and of course we cannot leave that light bulb alone, to your iron. One more time let’s give the light bulb another tweak.

• Biden Hits Air Conditioners With New Rule – Over 100 New Energy Rules Added So Far

This is the 110th action to strengthen energy efficiency standards that the Administration has taken in 2022. These 110 actions span a range of household products—everything from air conditioners and furnaces, to clothes washers and dryers, to kitchen appliances and water heaters—as well as commercial and industrial equipment.

If we look under the hood to understand the impact on Joe and Betty America we get the translation. The local governments now have caught on to the the power of the “Rules and Regulations” and they are applying them with gusto. No more than in the quaint city of Santa Monica.

Our reader Baysider dropped this off. It is worth a read.

The People’s Republic.

Here in my communist town they just issued their ‘plan’ to electrify the city completely by 2045. This includes the replacement of all gas appliances: heaters, cooktops, ovens, clothes dryer, water heater. Add an outlet for an EV car, and higher insurance costs to cover fire. This adds about 150 more amps to each unit which have already upgraded to the max the power service to the building will allow, which is 75 or 100 amps per unit (it varies). This is expensive!

We recently did 2 of them. $4,000 per panel to do again – plus changing the wiring (cutting major holes in walls and patching, painting) to serve the new appliances. That’s AFTER you fork over $10-20,000 to the power company to increase the size of the drop from their power pole to your building. And dig up the below ground conduits to install larger pipes. So maybe $30-40,000 per unit!

Savings? The city calculates energy savings of $4,500 over 30 years from new style appliances (which have heat pumps that won’t fit our footprint). Nowhere in their calculation did I see the cost of energy expenditures to mine, manufacturer, and ship all those replacement appliances as well as the cost of disposal of working appliances before their expiry. First clue that “net energy” use is only the stalking horse.

MORE
If you sell your building after 2028 (5 years) you must complete all these upgrades in order to sell it! No waiting to 2045. But they want new water heaters zero emission this year. So that brings ALL those expenses to bear the minute one has to replace a water heater.

WHAT’S GOING ON
1) a forced transfer of capital away from one party so another party with no investment or risk can feel good about virtue signaling, or
2) a confiscatory policy to force a fire sale for which others benefit (like those swooping in after riots burn down the town to buy things cheap), or
3) plain stupidity anchored in malfeasance?
4) All three.

THE CLUE: On top of that, in California there’s a law afoot to force you to make your first sales offer to a government sponsored agency. Think more’s going on here than ‘energy savings” now?

THE KICKER.
The city proposed a rebate to offset the costs: $2,000! Only for “income qualified” recipients.

NAME OF THIS ‘PLAN’: They call it the “Equitable Electrification Roadmap.” Woo-hoo, Equitable! They did not consult building owners or their associations or anyone who will shell out money for this nonsense. Instead they conducted ‘Equitable Community Engagement’ with these groups:
• Santa Monica Black Lives Association (SMBLA)
• Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) – this is a leftist money pit
• Climate Action Santa Monica (CASM)

This is the city’s link to their PR and the document.

City of Santa Monica Releases Existing Building Electrification Roadmap

Santa Monica’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP) calls for a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings by 2030. The Existing Building Electrification Roadmap builds on this CAAP goal by putting forth new goals including:

• Implement a Building Performance Standards policy by 2025
• Limit the installation of new fossil fuel appliances by 2030
• Transition all buildings within City-limits to all-electric by 2045

Interesting, but local city council members said “what, were we asleep when this passed?” Two commented they understood it was only for new buildings – a rational position. But I have all their documents discussing ‘existing stock’ and a casual nod to the difficulty that will need “creative tactics and policies.” Hot button words right up there with “warp speed.”

By the way, I promised air conditioning to a new tenant. Called my HVAC guy to get it started yesterday and he told me the quote is no longer good. New rules have made even ones still sitting in warehouses illegal to install. I was told to expect a lot more money. He said they are in reality no better, just more expensive. Sigh….

Clearer now?

A year ago – LACI’s Santa Monica Zero Emissions Delivery Zone

LACI’s zero emissions delivery zone in Santa Monica and we’re excited to see this pilot empowering businesses and decreasing congestion and pollution in the neighborhood. (Of course one wonders what happens to a city “all electric” when the lights go out.)

The best of the swamp.