Dr. Therese Peffer, the principal investigator for EcoBlock, recently spoke to Sierra Magazine about the challenges of pruning gas at the neighborhood block scale.
There were several reasons why a cul-de-sac in Oakland was chosen as the pilot site for the EcoBlock project, shares Therese. Not only did PG&E find the existing dead-end gas main an easy decommissioning target, but the EcoBlock team anticipated a cul-de-sac would foster greater social cohesion, improving the likelihood of achieving community consensus. The City of Oakland, which plans to decommission all buildings by 2040, also supported retiring the gas line.
However, cutting gas is difficult, even in politically progressive areas such as Alameda County. Through extensive community outreach and engagement, most of the homes in the EcoBlock neighborhood will be electrified this winter. Despite its complexities, block-level decommissioning is likely more effective than an individual, house-by-house approach, offering untapped economies of scale that can be replicated across California.