California regulators voted unanimously recently on a series of measures that include a ban on the sale of natural gas-powered heating and hot water systems beginning in 2030.
If the decision goes forward, it would be the first time a state has banned fossil fuel heaters for existing buildings as well as for new construction. The California Air Resources Board (CARB), the agency that oversees the state’s climate targets and regulates pollution, passed the measure as part of a larger plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions and comply with federal air quality targets.
The ban is not a done deal, however, according to a CARB spokesperson. “The commitment the Board made in approving the State SIP (State Implementation Plan) Strategy was for California Air Resources Board staff to pursue each measure in the document and take it to the Board for consideration,” says Melanie J. Turner, CARB information officer. “CARB will need to hold workshops and look at the issues related to the space and water heater measure. If the concept is not feasible, CARB staff will present the information to the Board who could determine they will not pursue it.”
If the ban on fossil fuel heating does go into effect, homeowners in California would only be able to buy zero-emission furnaces or hot-water heaters. Regulators expect this would prompt a switch to heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.
The use of fossil fuels in homes accounts for about 10% of U.S. carbon emissions. Since 2019, several cities and states have either enacted fossil fuel hookup bans for new buildings or have considered such bans. California is the first jurisdiction to extend such bans to existing buildings.
A switch to heat pumps, a more efficient cooling appliance than commonly used air conditioning units, could cut peak energy demand during heat waves, reducing the risk of brownouts and blackouts. To help residents make the transition to heat pumps, California’s most recent budget includes $1.4 billion to decarbonize buildings. Most of that funding is targeted for low-income families.
Related Stories
| Apr 14, 2011
U.S. embassies on a mission to green the world's buildings
The U.S. is putting greater emphasis on greening its worldwide portfolio of embassies. The U.S. State Department-affiliated League of Green Embassies already has 70 U.S. embassies undergoing efforts to reduce their environmental impact, and the organization plans to increase that number to more than 100 by the end of the year.
| Feb 7, 2011
GSA Unveils New Sustainable Workplace Design Tool
The U.S. General Services Administration launched its Sustainable Facilities Tool on Monday, Feb. 7. The innovative online tool will make it easier for both government and private-sector property managers and developers to learn about and evaluate strategies to make workplaces more sustainable, helping to build and create jobs in America’s clean energy economy of the future.
| Feb 4, 2011
U.S. Green Building Council applauds President Obama’s Green Building Initiative
The U.S. Green Building Council applauded a key element of President Obama’s plan to “win the future” by making America’s commercial buildings more energy- and resource-efficient over the next decade. The President’s plan, entitled Better Buildings Initiative, catalyzes private-sector investment through a series of incentives to upgrade offices, stores, schools and universities, hospitals and other commercial and municipal buildings.
| Feb 4, 2011
President Obama: 20% improvement in energy efficiency will save $40 billion
President Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative, announced February 3, 2011, aims to achieve a 20% improvement in energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 2020, improvements that will save American businesses $40 billion a year.
| Jan 19, 2011
U.S. Green Building Council Welcomes New Board Directors
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced newly elected officers and new directors to its 2011 Board of Directors, including Elizabeth J. Heider from Skanska; Kirsten Ritchi from Gensler; and Dennis Maloskey, from the Pennsylvania Governor's Green Government Council.
| Jan 7, 2011
Mixed-Use on Steroids
Mixed-use development has been one of the few bright spots in real estate in the last few years. Successful mixed-use projects are almost always located in dense urban or suburban areas, usually close to public transportation. It’s a sign of the times that the residential component tends to be rental rather than for-sale.
| Dec 7, 2010
Blue is the future of green design
Blue design creates places that are not just neutral, but actually add back to the world and is the future of sustainable design and architecture, according to an interview with Paul Eagle, managing director of Perkins+Will, New York; and Janice Barnes, principal at the firm and global discipline leader for planning and strategies.
| Nov 29, 2010
Renovating for Sustainability
Motivated by the prospect of increased property values, reduced utility bills, and an interest in jumping on the sustainability bandwagon, a noted upturn in green building upgrades is helping designers and real estate developers stay busy while waiting for the economy to recover. In fact, many of the larger property management outfits have set up teams to undertake projects seeking LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM, also referred to as LEED-EB), a certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
