Rachel Boyer, rachel.boyer@sierraclub.org
Pat Remick, premick@nrdc.org, 202-289-2411
The California Public Utilities Commission voted today to allocate over $40 million worth of incentives to boost the installation of efficient, emission-free heat pump water heaters in place of polluting gas-fired water heaters in new and existing buildings. Gas-fired appliances in homes and buildings account for 17 percent of California’s greenhouse gas emissions. This vote to revise the Self Generation Incentive Program comes as a study by Energy Innovation says that California is not on track to meet its 2030 emissions goals, but can turn the tide by requiring heat pumps in newly constructed buildings and replacements in existing buildings.
In response to the news, Rachel Golden, the deputy director of the Sierra Club’s clean buildings program, released the following statement:
“Today’s revision to the Self-Generation Incentive Program is the largest single investment in advanced clean energy heating technology in California. This is a great step to move California’s homes and buildings off of gas to cleaner and healthier energy sources. To meet our clean air and climate goals, we will need to see greater utility and state investment, and to prioritize ensuring low-income families and renters have access to these clean energy resources like heat pumps that can lower energy bills. ”
Pierre Delforge, building decarbonization senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, added:
“This is an important step forward, but it’s only a piece of what’s needed to appreciably boost adoption of highly efficient heat pump water heating technology, which has significant potential to help our state meet its climate and clean energy goals. This is just the beginning of the policy and funding support that will be needed to make this promising clean energy technology the norm across California.”
Matt Vespa, staff attorney at Earthjustice, representing Sierra Club in this proceeding, stated:
“Because water heating accounts for close to half of fossil fuel use in homes, California must rapidly transition from gas to electric water heating to address the climate crisis. In creating incentives to do so, the Commission is helping to jump start the shift away from polluting gas.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
About the Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Bozeman, Montana; and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC