Ask people how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and most will say “improve energy efficiency.” That may be a step in the right direction, but it’s time to adopt a better measure – a building’s total carbon emissions.

Natural gas is no more natural than coal or petroleum, and must be phased out rapidly. This means that all new buildings must be powered by clean electricity from renewable sources. It’s just common sense.

The future is electric and the power will come mostly, if not entirely, from renewable sources. In Part Two of Energizing the Green New Deal, we get specific about strategies that utilities and heavy industry can utiliz e to address climate change and make a profit at the same time. Utilities will play a central role in guiding development of renewable resources and efficient ways to deploy them. Industry may present the greatest challenges, but there are existing technologies to smooth the transition, plus smart incentives and new technologies in the pipeline.