On June 15, 2026, El Camino Health submitted an application to the Town of Los Gatos to replace its existing El Camino Health Los Gatos Hospital with a new acute care campus. | Photo Credit: El Camino Health
By Lindsey Coulter
Hospitals are among the most energy-intensive building types, with substantial heating, cooling and power requirements for critical medical equipment. As energy costs rise and healthcare organizations face pressure to reduce emissions, some health systems are beginning to consider a more fundamental shift: designing hospitals to operate entirely on electricity.
The move to all-electric hospitals represents a departure from traditional healthcare infrastructure, which commonly relies on fossil fuels for some building systems and operations. Schneider Electric reports that the healthcare sector accounts for 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions and says advances in technology are making all-electric hospital designs increasingly viable.
The approach is beginning to move from concept to completed projects. In December 2025, UCI Health-Irvine opened as the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital. Meanwhile, El Camino Health has proposed an all-electric replacement for its existing hospital in Los Gatos, California.
Beyond Sustainability
While emissions reduction is one motivation for electrification, the business case also involves long-term operating costs.
Schneider Electric estimates that converting a hospital’s energy consumption to electricity can increase demand by two to 2.5 times the original design load, requiring significant upfront capital investment. The company says the investment can typically pay back within five years through reductions in operating expenses. Electrification also can reduce maintenance requirements and the risk associated with catastrophic equipment failures.
One Pacific Northwest hospital cited by Schneider Electric estimated a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the 25 years following electrification. All-electric facilities also can integrate renewable generation, energy storage and demand-response programs to help manage utility costs.
That combination of sustainability, operating economics and energy management is helping shift electrification from a standalone environmental initiative toward a broader infrastructure strategy.
UCI Health Sets a Benchmark
UCI Health-Irvine provides one of the clearest examples of what that strategy looks like in practice.
The seven-story, 144-bed hospital officially opened Dec. 10, 2025, as the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital. Designed from the ground up to operate entirely on electricity, the facility has no natural gas infrastructure. According to the American Hospital Association, power is supplied through on-site solar generation and other sustainable sources, supported by water recycling and energy-efficient building systems.
The hospital combines its energy strategy with a broad range of clinical services. It includes a 24/7 emergency department, advanced imaging, interventional radiology and catheterization labs, bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy, cardiology and epilepsy monitoring, as well as inpatient and outpatient pharmacy, laboratory and pathology services.
Electrification also extends into support operations. The hospital’s kitchen is among the first fully electric hospital kitchens in the nation, according to the American Hospital Association.
Patient experience was another component of the project. Private rooms average 250 square feet and include natural light, smart TVs and access to outdoor terraces and gardens. The hospital also uses furnishings and finishes free of harmful chemicals, according to the AHA.
The project demonstrates that an all-electric approach can be incorporated into a full-service acute care environment rather than being limited to a specialized or low-energy facility.
El Camino Health Plans for Electrification
UCI Health-Irvine’s opening is being followed by another major California healthcare project.
On June 15, 2026, El Camino Health submitted an application to the Town of Los Gatos to replace its existing El Camino Health Los Gatos Hospital with a new acute care campus. The proposed hospital would include 122 single-occupancy patient rooms, 12 operating rooms, a modernized and larger emergency department, and advanced maternity, cardiac and oncology diagnostic and treatment services.
The proposed 340,000-square-foot campus would be located next to the existing hospital and would be the first all-electric hospital in Los Gatos. El Camino Health says the project is intended to reduce the town’s carbon emissions while meeting current California seismic mandates. The project also targets LEED Gold certification and would include a healing garden and water-saving landscaping.
The replacement is also intended to address limitations of the existing facility, which opened in 1962. According to El Camino Health, the current hospital does not meet state-mandated seismic standards or fully support advanced and emerging medical technologies. The total cost of the rebuild is estimated at more than $1 billion, with completion and opening projected for 2032.
From Pilot to Planning Strategy
Together, the two California projects illustrate how all-electric hospital design is beginning to enter mainstream capital planning.
UCI Health-Irvine provides a completed example of an all-electric acute care hospital, while El Camino Health’s proposed Los Gatos campus demonstrates how electrification can be incorporated into a major replacement project from the outset.
But moving to an all-electric model involves considerably more than replacing individual pieces of equipment. The approach changes how hospitals plan for electrical capacity, mechanical and electrical space, energy storage, controls and resilience.
That infrastructure challenge is the focus of Part 2, available next week, which examines what all-electric hospital design means for architects, engineers, contractors and facilities teams — and how energy management becomes an integral part of hospital operations.