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Southern California’s air quality regulators are expected to vote for a new rule this week aimed at phased out sales of gas furnaces and water heaters in the area.
The South Coast Air Quality Control District, which covers all of Orange County and the large Swass in Los Angeles, Riverside County and San Bernardino County, or AQMD, is scheduled to vote Friday in two proposed regulations designed to limit nitrogen oxide emissions, or NOX, the major pollutant that forms the SMOG.
If approved, the proposals in AQMD amended rules 1111 and 1121 will meet the 30% sales target from 2027, increase to 50% in 2029, ending above 90% in 2036, reaching the 30% sales target in 2029, increase to 50% in 2029, and ending above 50% in 2029. Residential real estate.
Gas-powered appliances continue to be on sale, but manufacturers will be forced to pay an additional fee for these units. This is probably the cost passed to the consumer.
Officials say the plan is important to reduce air pollution and improve public health in the south coast area. This continues to suffer from the worst smog in the country, far below many federal health-based standards for air quality.
“The rules are a very important component of strategies that allow us to clean the air and meet those health-based standards,” said Sarah Rees, Associate Executive Officer of AQMD’s Planning and Rules. “We wanted to focus on where the biggest chunks of NOX emissions were. Space and water heating are actually pretty important chunks left on the table for us to work on.”
Environmental groups say the rules have been in place for almost two years, have been postponed for a long time, and should be even more aggressive. But opponents, including gas appliance makers, fossil fuel companies, and several local and commercial groups, say the measure will strain the electrical grid and will increase the cost of consumers.
Zero emission units prices vary and can depend on factors such as home size, local labor costs, installation costs, and electrical panel upgrades.
For example, the estimated equipment and installation costs for electric heat pumps are $17,200 compared to $11,000 for natural gas reactors, according to AQMD’s Socioeconomic Impact Report. However, since heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling, the agency points out that the cost of an electric unit is comparable to the cost of replacing a fully air conditioning and natural gas furnace system, which is about $20,600.
According to AQMD, heat pump water heaters are projected to cost an average of $3,700 to equipment and installation.
State Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach) said affordability was one of his main concerns about the rules. He urges his constituents to oppose them.
“Families who live on payroll cannot afford this type of mission,” Strickland said, adding that the cost of living in California is 42% higher than the national average. “I want to hold back some of these boards. [the California Air Resources Board, or CARB,] And the AQMD is because they make decisions that are harmful to the people of California. ”
Authorities stressed that the proposal was not a mission. The initial iteration of the rules required a final ban on the sale of new gas-powered appliances, while the final amendment rules call for a gradual delay in clean technology that allows consumers to purchase natural gas units when needed.
However, an additional fee will be charged to the manufacturer for the sale of gas-powered units. The fees include an additional $100 for a gas furnace and $50 for a gas water heater. This increases to $500 and $250, respectively, if you sell more gas units than the sales target is permitted.
Fees collected from the penalty will be used to fund incentive programs that will help consumers purchase zero-emission equipment, such as electric heat pumps.
“It’s kind of a weak policy, but it’s still a very important policy,” said Adrian Martinez, director of Zero Campaign Rights at the non-profit Earthjustice. “It’s not that strong to get to the zero-emission device, but that’s because it’s still a signal.”
Potential air quality improvements from switches to electricity have significantly increased air quality improvements, including an estimated NOX reduction of 6 tons per day by 2061. This has led vehicles in the area to release around 9 tons of NOX per day, Martinez said.
NOX is not solely responsible for smog. As a major source of indoor air pollution, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says emissions are also associated with increased respiratory infections, childhood asthma, and other adverse health problems, particularly due to exposure without adequate ventilation.
“What we’re really talking about here is public health,” said Chris Chavez, assistant policy director for Clean Air’s nonprofit coalition. “The fact is that if we continue to choose to use contamination technology, it has public health implications, and we intend to pay for it through asthma attacks. We intend to pay during hospitalization, either personal or taxes, through premature death.”
According to the AQMD Impact Report, the rules prevent approximately 2,490 premature births, 10,200 cases of newly developed asthma, and 17 million days of physical and outdoor activities between 2027 and 2053.
Over 14,000 public comments have been submitted to AQMD in response to the proposal, many of which are opposed.
“If these rules are adopted, it is important to recognize that consumer choices will be affected and that homeowners and tenants, not industries, will be forced to reach deep into their pockets to follow these rules.”
Opponents also expressed concern that appliances would put an even greater strain on the aging energy grid in the area. Or, as one public commenter wrote, “we will face more electric grid brownouts as power usage increases and already worsens lifespan under this condition.”
AQMD’s Rees said that slow ramp up of the rules should ensure that the grid has enough time to meet demand. The state is working to implement electrification initiatives, and carbohydrate staff are also heading for a statewide ban on gas furnaces and water heaters by 2030.
And she’s heard concerns about costs, but she said that zero emissions technology is more efficient and therefore more cost-effective to implement, and prices have fallen over time. The incentive program is designed to help customers who struggle to meet high costs.
She further said the plan would encourage people to purchase zero-emission equipment only if current units are broken or need to be replaced.
“It really promotes zero-emission technology and, frankly, follows existing market trends,” Lease said, noting that electric heat pumps already account for nearly a third of California’s furnace sales. “We are trying to create regulations that will encourage adoption of these clean technologies, but still retain consumer choices, so we believe that it is not affordable or practical for consumers to adopt these types of equipment, but can take on emission reductions at the end of the day.”
Still, some supporters said they hope the rules are more aggressive, including a few who spoke at AQMD’s latest board meeting on the issue in May.
“The rules aren’t as strong as we would like, but they’re taking them a step forward,” said Jennifer Cardenas, campaign organizer for the Sierra Club. “You can’t pay for breathing clean air.”
Others pointed to the San Francisco Gulf region as an example of possible things. The area’s air quality control district passed its own stricter version of its rules two years ago. This includes sales of new gas water heaters in 2027 and total sales of furnaces in 2029.
However, Earth Justice’s Martinez pointed out that NOX is a single category of emissions under the authority of the AQMD on the South Coast, and said the agency would refuse to take action against it.
“The best rating is, is we better with or without rules?” he said. “I emphasize, all the evidence suggests that we would be better off using the rules.”
The public can meet online on Fridays or in person at the Diamond Bar on South Coast AQMD.
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