Berkeley enforces the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) plus local Reach Code amendments encouraging all-electric construction, after the 9th Circuit struck down the 2019 first-in-nation gas ban in 2023.
Berkeley adopts CALGreen Title 24 Part 11 and adds Reach Code amendments setting energy targets stricter than statewide minimums for new construction and major renovations. In 2019 Berkeley became the first US city to ban natural gas in new construction; the Ninth Circuit in California Restaurant Association v. Berkeley struck down that ordinance in 2023 as preempted by federal appliance-efficiency law. Berkeley responded by reframing its electrification strategy through performance-based building standards, pollution disclosure, and large-building emissions rules under the Climate Action Plan. Solar-ready and EV-ready provisions remain mandatory. Permit reviews include CALGreen worksheets and energy modeling.
Failure to meet CALGreen mandates can block permit issuance and certificate of occupancy. Misrepresentation in CALGreen worksheets is grounds for permit revocation and contractor license referral.
Berkeley, CA
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Berkeley, CA
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See how other cities in Alameda County handle green building code.
See how Berkeley's green building code rules stack up against other locations.
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