A proposal in California to incentivize the adoption of electric furnaces and water heaters — in place of gas-powered ones — had been sparking controversy since its initial development. But to the dismay of environmental advocates, it was recently rejected by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
What happened?
The regulations aimed to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution in the district, which comprises 17 million residents in the greater Los Angeles area.
To do this, regulators proposed requiring manufacturers to either sell more zero-emission electric furnaces and water heaters or continue to sell natural gas-powered appliances while paying a penalty fee.
The rules were not designed to require that consumers buy electric appliances, but rather to incentivize manufacturers to migrate to offering majority-electric furnaces and heaters. The target for zero-emission appliance sales was 30% by 2030 and 90% by 2036. On this timeline, NOx emissions from residential appliances were projected to decrease by six tons a day.
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The rules were sent back for further consideration, giving proponents some hope, though it's unlikely any revised version of the guidance will come before the governing body before next year.
Why is reducing NOx pollution important?
NOx pollution is one of the key contributors to smog, which presents an array of negative health impacts. These include respiratory issues like difficulty breathing, inflamed airways, and asthma, as well as chronic lung disease, skin irritation, and even dementia, according to the EPA.
By reducing this pollution, AQMD staff estimated that these regulations would have saved an estimated $59 billion in healthcare expenses between 2027 and 2053. They also calculated that each year, the reduction in pollution could prevent, on average, 280 new asthma diagnoses, 44 emergency room visits due to respiratory problems, and 6,100 lost school days.
Many of the opponents to the regulations had mentioned concern for consumers, worrying that their costs would increase if penalty fees were passed on to them. However, AQMD staff argued that the fees — just $50 for a water heater and $100 for a furnace — were not prohibitive over the lifetime cost of the appliances, which regularly last 15 to 25 years.
"It is not a mandate. It's not a ban. It's not this complete phasing out of natural gas," Michael Krause, of AQMD, stated. "We're giving manufacturers options to sell both …. the consumers out there then have a choice from the manufacturers."
Environmental and public health advocates alike were disappointed to learn that the rules had been struck down.
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No way 👎 "We have already heard many excuses, and we will throughout today for why these rules shouldn't happen — but they are just that: excuses," Tomas Castro, of Climate Action Campaign, said. "There is no excuse good enough for why we shouldn't have clean air. There's no excuse good enough for why we shouldn't save lives from air pollution, and there is no excuse good enough for why we shouldn't have a clean energy future."
What's the plan to reduce pollution in LA?
There are multiple fronts for reducing pollution. In addition to replacing heating systems and water heaters, policymakers and advocates are working to boost the adoption of electric vehicles, public transit, clean power in factories, and more.
These efforts will all be needed for AQMD to meet the federal pollution regulation requirements set under the Clean Air Act. Currently, the staff report said, the region is in "extreme nonattainment" for its ozone standards.
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