September 22, 2022
Contact: Robin Tung, Building Decarbonization Coalition
robin@buildingdecarb.org
Sacramento, CA – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted today to approve its State Implementation Plan (SIP) to help California achieve national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The SIP includes a first-in-the-nation zero-emission sales standard that will increase the deployment of heat pumps for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and water heating by 2030.
“Strong statewide action going all-in on heat pumps is critical to provide market certainty and regulatory consistency, especially as regional Air Districts move forward with their own zero-emission sales standards,” said Luis Amezcua, Senior Policy & Campaign Manager at the Building Decarbonization Coalition. “For California to meet its clean air and climate commitments, decarbonizing the building sector is pivotal. With over $1.4 billion invested this year in building decarbonization, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work on implementing these standards in partnership with our members and allies.”
This historic measure to increase the sale and deployment of clean, efficient heat pumps will boost the market share for heat pumps and help meet California’s new climate goals set by Governor Newsom this July: 3 million climate-ready homes and the deployment of 6 million heat pumps by 2030, and 7 million climate-ready homes by 2035. The appliance standard is critical not only for climate, health, and economic benefits, but because roughly a quarter of Californians lack access to cooling at a time when life-threatening extreme heat, fueled by climate change, is becoming the new normal.
In a joint letter submitted by BDC on behalf of environmental justice groups, environmental organizations, manufacturers, tenants, and others, stakeholders recommend various topics for implementation, and specifically request that low-income and environmental justice communities be prioritized and a cross-sector working group of diverse stakeholders be convened, which CARB incorporated into its final plan. Leading manufacturers supporting the letter make up over 35% of the heat pump water heater market share and 60% of the HVAC market share.
Continued alignment in policymaking and investments is necessary for California to attain its goal of achieving 100% zero-emissions in residential and commercial buildings by 2045. As California forges its path towards decarbonizing its homes and buildings, it serves as a model for other states as they make efforts to do the same. The Building Decarbonization Coalition is currently convening a broad set of stakeholders to provide a vision and framework for the state to decarbonize its building stock by its target date.
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