The Present and Future of Decarbonizing through Electrification in Commercial Buildings in the Midwest

The U.S. building industry is not on track to decarbonize fast enough to avoid dangerous levels of climate change. The Midwest is a microcosm of this broader issue because of its near universal natural gas availability, high electricity cost relative to natural gas, extreme cold weather, and less-progressive regulatory environments than the coasts. However, there are paths forward. This paper describes five typologies that deserve strong consideration for action on near-term electrification of heating in the Midwest.

Presented at the 2022 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Co-authors:

• Scott Hackel, Greg Marsicek, Scott Schuetter; Slipstream
• Brett Bridgeland, Anish Tilak; Rocky Mountain Institute