Officials in Southern California have launched a massive program aimed at reducing carbon emissions and enhancing energy efficiency in homes and businesses.
On September 3, the South Coast Air Quality Management District announced that it had officially launched its $21 million Go Zero Pilot Incentive program. The initiative was created to help both residents and businesses make the switch to "cleaner, zero-emission space and water heating technologies."
South Coast AQMD's Go Zero program offers rebates to those in Southern California looking to replace gas or propane heating systems with zero-emission heat pumps. Applicants can also receive rebates to replace conventional gas or propane water heaters as well. Overall, the program's core focus is to reduce excess carbon emissions.
Although the program has $21 million in available funding, South Coast AQMD noted that the rebates are on a first-come, first-served basis. Rebates range from $1,000 to $2,000 per heat pump, with up to $3,000 available for homes in overburdened communities and $4,000 for small businesses. The program also includes funding dedicated to workforce training in the clean energy industry.
In June 2024, South Coast AQMD first announced that new and existing buildings within the district would all need to transition to zero-emission residential and commercial building water heaters. Items such as natural gas-fired pool heaters, larger water heaters, and small commercial water heaters would be required to meet a zero-emission nitrogen oxides standard when they are replaced.
Vanessa Delgado, South Coast AQMD's Governing Board Chair, noted the significance of the rule change. "This is the first all zero-emission rule we've adopted, and the second highest reductions achieved from a rule in the past decade, second only to our rule which reduced emissions from petroleum refineries by nearly 8 tons of NOx per day," Delgado said in a statement.
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Nitrogen oxides can negatively affect human health by irritating the respiratory system, potentially worsening asthma, and leading to lung damage. The harmful gas can also impact the surrounding environment and severely reduce air quality.
"Not only is this a huge step towards improving air quality for our communities, it will have tremendous public health benefits," added Delgado.
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