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They lost their homes to fire. Now they’re rebuilding with all-electric.

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No one is forcing fire survivors in Altadena and Pacific Palisades to rebuild their new homes all-electric. But many of them want to, for health reasons, cost savings, or because they’re worried about climate change.

Burning gas and propane for cooking, water heating and space heating in California homes and businesses creates 10% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. It also releases pollutants indoors.

That’s why, in recent years, state policy has pushed toward electrification, and about 39% of new homes in California in 2024 went in without gas lines. Only 8% of all homes were all-electric in 2020.

Yet after last year’s fires, Gov. Gavin Newsom waived a 2025 building code that strongly encouraged electric heat pumps in new construction, allowing residents in the burn zones to build back to older, less efficient standards.

The city of L.A. also waived a requirement that new homes be all-electric.

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Climate experts called these rollbacks a missed opportunity. Early figures show 1,300 residents have already have applied for reconnections through SoCalGas, which serves most of Los Angeles.

Yet some determined groups of neighbors are building all-electric anyway, even without the requirements. Here are some of their reasons:

Neighbors building passive homes in Altadena

Leo Cheng is part of a group of about 10 Eaton fire survivors working together to build passive homes in Altadena.

Felipe Jimenez, foreman, looks at the plans for a new home under construction in Altadena

Felipe Jimenez, a construction foreman, reads plans for a new home on East Mariposa Street in Altadena on Friday.

(Gary Coronado / For The Times)

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A passive house is airtight and highly insulated, designed to reduce the need for air conditioning and heating to the highest extent possible.

Cheng, who previously lived in a home with a gas stove, furnace and water heater, became interested in the concept when he learned that it could keep out more smoke and toxic ash during a fire.

He sees passive homes as going hand in hand with all-electric appliances, because “with airtight construction, having a gas stove in the house especially doesn’t make sense” for indoor air quality.

Cheng was one of the western Altadena residents who received evacuation orders late on Jan. 7, 2025. He remembers rushing out of his house in the middle of the night without time to turn off the gas, so he also likes the idea of reducing fire risk by eliminating it all together.

A man stands on an empty home lot in Altadena.

Leo Cheng, 60, on the site where he lived with his wife in a 1960s California ranch home on East Calaveras Street in Altadena.

(Gary Coronado / For The Times)

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After going on a passive house tour led by his neighbor Jaime Rodriguez, whom he credits with sparking the passive house movement in Altadena, Cheng became part of a small but growing group that meets once a week to support one another with rebuilding energy-efficient, all-electric homes. A former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer, he has decided to become a passive house consultant.

Besides indoor air quality, climate change is a big concern.

“I’m a firm believer that climate change played a big role in how intense and how widespread these fires were,” Cheng said. “Using fossil fuel in this day and age is not a good idea.”

Companies building all-electric catalog homes

Building a custom-designed home can bring an array of hurdles. For those looking for a simpler and more affordable approach, the Foothill Catalog Foundation offers pre-approved, all-electric home designs in styles that honor the architectural legacy of Altadena.

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Local architects Cynthia Sigler and Alex Athenson took inspiration from early 20th century Sears catalogs that sold homes as kits when they founded the nonprofit last year.

They’re already working with 11 families with homes under construction, and have 50 more signed on to build their catalog homes.

Athenson said they didn’t set out to design their models all-electric but decided to go that route for health and safety reasons. Another factor was the money and time they could save clients by cutting out the need for two utility hookups.

A sign announcing that an all-electric home will be built in Altadena.

A sign in front of the home of Leo Cheng announcing that an all-electric home will be built where his home burned down during the Eaton fire.

(Gary Coronado / For The Times)

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According to the Building Decarbonization Coalition, an electrification advocacy group, all-electric homes cost $3,000 to $10,000 less to build than mixed fuel homes in Los Angeles. That savings helps when it comes to buying appliances like heat pumps, which are the most efficient but tend to be more expensive up front.

The heat pump will yield lower utility bills for summer cooling because they use far less electricity than traditional air conditioners. They create winter heat bill savings in L.A. too.

The biggest question Athenson gets from clients is about electric cooking, especially when they’re used to cooking with gas. But he said concerns usually fall away when they learn more about induction stoves. “If you ask most chefs, that’s the most dialed-in, precise way to cook,” he said.

Genesis Builders LA is also offering fixed-price, pre-approved catalog homes in Altadena, with models that can be all-electric or use gas. Builder Devang Shah said he’s working with about 30 fire survivors, half of whom opted for all-electric.

“Some people have preferences for gas cooking and the look of a gas-lit fireplace,” said Shah. But all his clients will use electric heat pumps for space and water heating. Although the state waived a requirement that all new homes have solar for the burn areas, they still must be solar-ready. Shah’s models all come with solar and that, he said, helps heat pumps pencil out every time.

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An incentive program for all-electric rebuilds

After a long delay, a $22-million incentive program launched on April 6 to support residents rebuilding all-electric in California disaster areas served by investor-owned utilities like Southern California Edison. Customers can qualify for $7,000 to $10,000 in subsidies, with more available for low-income fire survivors and bonuses for batteries and passive homes.

In just the first 10 days, 116 people from Altadena applied.

A plan for a new home with personalized writing and designs

A plan for a new home along East Altadena Drive.

(Gary Coronado / For The Times)

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which serves most of the Palisades, also has a rebate program for electric wildfire rebuilds, with subsidies for all-electric homes or individual appliances.

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Reza Akef, a builder in the Palisades and chair of the Pacific Palisades Community Council’s Infrastructure Committee, said people do consider these incentives in deciding what appliances to buy. On the other hand, SoCalGas offers wildfire rebates for more energy-efficient gas appliances. More than 1,100 households have enrolled.

About 90% of Akef’s 45 Palisades clients will keep gas. He said the fuel is faster for pool and spa heating, where electric heat pumps are more energy-efficient than gas but heat the water more slowly. Some of his clients feel a gas line will boost the resale value of their home, he said, and others have concerns about relying on one electric utility if the power goes out.

A spokesperson for Newsom said California is “aggressively pursuing widespread electrification” but would not burden survivors with “additional mandates and red tape.” Mayor Karen Bass’ office said she was giving Palisadians “options of how they want to rebuild,” with fire resiliency at the forefront.

Kari Weaver is an interior designer who lost her home in the Palisades fire and a member of Resilient Palisades, a group that’s advocating all-electric rebuilds. She plans to build an all-electric home with a solar and battery system in case of blackouts. But she’ll keep a gas line on the property and is still deciding if she’ll connect it to her pool. She’s looking into options like a cover that insulates the water, hybrid heaters and new electric heating models.

“These types of appliances are getting better all the time,” she said.

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‘House of the Dragon,’ Season 3, Episode 4: “Now we begin?” It’s Season 3!

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‘House of the Dragon,’ Season 3, Episode 4: “Now we begin?” It’s Season 3!

Sers Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) discuss their phalanx strategy. Heh.

Theo Whiteman/HBO


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Theo Whiteman/HBO

This is a recap of the most recent episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon. It contains spoilers. That’s what a recap is.

Credits! And the only addition to the Die, You! Tapestry we get this week is difficult to decipher at first. Looks to me like a woman whispering into the ear of a stout gentleman with a thin, John Waters mustache. Alys and Daemon? Alys and Aemond? Or — OK, no, wait, I see it now — it’s Aemond, murdering my sweet babboo Ser Simon Strong back in episode 2. Wow. Cold. Way to rub it in, you vindictive textile, you. Now I’m glad to see you get torn in half each week.

In the small merchant town of Tumbleton, the Hightower army is going house-to-house, forcibly quartering troops in private homes, ’cause Westeros don’t got a Third Amendment.

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In the home of the local lord and lady, Ormund Hightower has set up shop — if we’re careful to define “shop” as “plopped his bathtub in the middle of their living room.” In a power move, he stands up from the bath he’s taking to show us his hindquarters (and show the nobles his frontquarters), while pompously instructing his young squire on the proper way to deal with “those beneath you.” Presumably he’s not referring to his frontquarters.

He receives some bad news — the Baratheons haven’t sent troops, and Aemond still hasn’t shown up to Harrenhal with Vhagar. (This last bit happened at the end of episode 2, but news-by-raven travels slow.) And that’s when we get the reveal the show’s been sitting on — this squire, the red-headed kid who’s been standing by Ormund’s side since the season began, is actually Daeron, youngest son of Alicent, brother to Aegon, Aemond and Helaena, and the rider of the dragon Tessarion.

RIP, spheres of the realm

At Rhaenyra’s Teeny Tiny Council chamber in the Red Keep, Orwyle suggests sending the riverlord army (which is currently marching to Kings Landing) to take Tumbleton back. It would cost fewer lives than raining down dragonfire, he argues. And with that suggestion, he’s back in the Queen’s good graces. (There’s a brief exchange where Orwyle reaches for one of those weird little billiard-ball token thingies to register his attendance or whatever, only to get shut down, and informed that they’re “relics of the old regime.” Too bad; I’ll miss those fetishistic, tactile bits of business, but I hope they find a place in a Kings Landing history museum. It was one of those tchotchkes, after all, that took out poor timorous Lord Beesbury, back in the day. Never forget.)

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Burbank’s airport to get new $1.3-billion terminal soon (but you’ll still walk on tarmac)

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Burbank’s airport to get new .3-billion terminal soon (but you’ll still walk on tarmac)

While uncertainty lingers over improvements and timetables at LAX, the county’s second-busiest airport is on the brink of big changes.

The Hollywood Burbank Airport is due to replace its two terminals with a larger new terminal on Oct. 13. The $1.3-billion project will include 14 gates — the same number the airport has now. But the new structure will be a single terminal that’s about 50% larger than the airport’s current two-terminal layout.

In moving to a 355,000-square-foot terminal, officials say, the airport can give passengers more room and better technology while meeting safety and accessibility standards.

A rendering shows how Hollywood Burbank Airport is designed to look when its new terminal opens in October.

(Hollywood Burbank Airport)

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The airport, built in 1930 and run by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, is favored by many local travelers as a simpler, faster alternative to Los Angeles International Airport. The Burbank airport’s site in the San Fernando Valley, however, has often put its leaders at odds with residents of surrounding suburban neighborhoods.

As it stands, the aged Burbank facility doesn’t meet current state seismic standards or Federal Aviation Administration design standards — which has prompted repeated safety warnings. Its nine resident airlines fly to about 30 nonstop destinations. The airport reported about 6.2 million arriving and departing passengers in 2025.

Airport officials say the new design increases the distance between the terminal and the nearest runway, currently as little as 257 feet, soon to be about 880 feet, bringing the airport into compliance with FAA standards.

Meanwhile at LAX, which reported 73.7 million passengers in 2025, the opening of a long-awaited SkyLink automated people mover (an electric train linking terminals to rail service and rental cars) has been delayed by technical and legal issues. In a June 15 report, the SkyLink contractor estimated that its public opening would need to wait until Oct. 6 or later. Asked for a revised timetable, an LAX spokesperson gave no dates, saying only that the airport is focused on “exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems, and vehicles” to ensure safety and dependability.

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A rendering shows how Hollywood Burbank Airport is expected to look after a new terminal opens in October.

A rendering shows how Hollywood Burbank Airport is expected to look after a new terminal opens in October.

(Hollywood Burbank Airport)

In Burbank, voters approved the airport terminal replacement project in 2016. Construction began in 2024. At the entrance, travelers will encounter a pair of 16-foot-tall sculptures, “The Two Electras,” by Cliff Garten; inside, a ceiling grid artwork by Glenn Kaino.

The new space is just north of the existing terminal, which is to be demolished. The new entrance will be at Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way. Airport officials say the change will not affect the number of flights or the airport’s operating hours, which are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

In the new terminal, airport officials say, the walk from the entrance to the farthest gate will be 1,285 feet, down from 1,600 feet now, with wider corridors and sidewalks and access to power plugs for devices from every seat. Baggage claim carousels will move from outdoors to indoors.

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A July 7 photo shows work in progress at Hollywood Burbank Airport, where a new terminal is scheduled to open in October.

A July 7 photo shows work in progress at Hollywood Burbank Airport, where a new terminal is scheduled to open in October.

(Hollywood Burbank Airport)

The airport project, known as Elevate BUR, has been overseen by the project management company Jacobs. The Design-Build portion of the project is led by Holder, Pankow, TEC, Joint Venture. Corgan provided architectural services in association with CannonDesign.

As it does now, the airport will supply shuttle bus service between the new terminal and Burbank Airport-South Train Station (which connects with Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner) and the Burbank Airport-North Station at San Fernando Road and Hollywood Way.

Another thing that won’t change: Passengers will continue to walk across the tarmac from terminal to stairs to planes, rather than using the enclosed jetways common in other airports, especially larger ones. It’s something travelers say they appreciate about the airport.

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“The second I step onto the tarmac at Burbank, I start acting like I’m boarding a private jet,” wrote one Threads user. “And you’ll never convince me otherwise.”

Some other changes travelers can expect in Burbank:

  • The new terminal’s 14 food service units are tentatively set to include a Flavor Town, Spring Chicken, Farm Table Bistro, Jones Coffee, Perry’s Joint, Poquito Mas, West Coast Smash Burger, Diane’s Pizzeria, Massis Kebab, Starbucks, Border Grill, Jet Tila’s Asian Table, Santa Canela bakery and a bar with picture-window views of the runways and Verdugo mountains.
The Grand Hall of the soon-to-open terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport awaits finishing touches on July 7.

The Grand Hall of the soon-to-open terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport awaits finishing touches on July 7.

(Hollywood Burbank Airport)

  • A new parking structure next to the new terminal will hold 2,007 parking spots, including 400 valet spots. (The airport’s total number of parking spaces will remain the same at 6,637.)
  • The distance between the new terminal and the airport’s existing rental car facility and bus stop (Regional Intermodal Transit Center) will be slightly less than a mile by shuttle bus.
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Sunday Puzzle: Two words, same number of letters, matching first and last letters

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Sunday Puzzle:  Two words, same number of letters, matching first and last letters

On-air challenge

Based on the clue, name two words that have the same number of letters and begin and end with the letters provided. (Ex. Rocks / five letters / S and E —> Slate, Shale)

1. European languages in 7 letters starting with S and ending with .

2. Ancient stringed instruments / 4 letters / L and E

3. Birds / 6 letters / P and N

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4. Parts of the body / 5 letters / T and H

5. Things seen in a classroom / 5 letters / C and K

6. Newsstand magazines / 7 letters / E and E

7. Books of the Bible / 4 letters / A and S

8. Foods from Italy / 5 letters / P and A

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Last week’s challenge

Next weekend will be the 186th convention of the National Puzzler League, in Bloomington, Ind., which I’ll be attending as always. Two other people who will be there are Henri Picciotto and Joshua Kosman, who created this week’s challenge. Name two words that are opposites. They share a single letter. Remove that shared letter from each word, put a hyphen between the two starting words, and you’ll get a term you sometimes see in food ads. What are the two words?

Challenge answer

Slow, fast –> low-fat

Winner

Debra Waller of Burlington, Kentucky

This week’s challenge

This week’s challenge comes from Steve Baggish, of Arlington, Mass. Take the 10-letter name of a popular TV series for which most of its seasons have been filmed in a foreign country.  Remove the first and last letters, and the remaining letters can be rearranged to spell the name of a country.  What are the two names?

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it below by Thursday, July 16 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle.

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