For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Tryn Brown, Manager of Communications
Building Decarbonization Coalition
tbrown@buildingdecarb.org
Governor Newsom signs three bills to make it easier for Californians to install modern, highly efficient heat pumps
SB 222 and AB 1738 will streamline heat pump permitting and inspections for homeowners and contractors statewide, while AB 2313 will offer homeowners the choice to electrify with a financial incentive.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., (September 30, 2026) — Governor Newsom has signed three key building decarbonization bills that will help Californians access highly efficient heat pumps for clean cooling and heating, and lower energy bills. Advancing building decarbonization through the Heat Pump Access Act (SB 222, Wiener), the Remote Virtual Inspection Act (AB 1738, Carrillo), and the Home Energy Choice Act (AB 2313, Berman) will also help protect Californians from extreme heat, support the state’s clean energy workforce, and cut pollution from buildings, the state’s second-largest source after transportation.
The Heat Pump Access Act (SB 222), authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), is the nation’s first bill to streamline heat pump permitting statewide. Co-sponsored by the Building Decarbonization Coalition, the Bay Area Air District, and SPUR, SB 222 will make it faster, easier, and more affordable for California households to install heat pumps for clean cooling and heating. The bill is supported by a wide array of trade associations, contractors, health advocates, and environmental groups.
The Heat Pump Access Act will establish a consistent, statewide permitting process for heat pumps to prevent high costs and long delays. It requires jurisdictions to provide:
- Automated permitting for standard heat pump installations
- Reasonable, transparent permit fees with no surprise costs
- A single, unified permit type covering both heat pump HVAC systems and water heaters
- Limits on excessive HOA restrictions, documentation, or aesthetic requirements
“We’re grateful to Governor Newsom and Senator Wiener for their leadership in expanding access to clean, efficient, and affordable cooling for all Californians,” said Madison Vander Klay, Government Affairs Manager at the Building Decarbonization Coalition. “The Heat Pump Access Act cuts unnecessary red tape to deliver a faster, more predictable heat pump installation process for both homeowners and contractors.”
The Remote Virtual Inspection Act (AB 1738), authored by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale), will require cities and counties to offer homeowners and contractors the option of a remote inspection for common, straightforward residential upgrades like heat pumps and solar. Co-sponsored by SPUR and Permit Power, the bill will simplify and streamline building inspections to help cut costs, save time, and expand inspector capacity, while preserving their discretion to require an in-person visit when needed to maintain safety standards.
“Remote virtual inspections are a crucial opportunity to save money and time for homeowners, contractors, and building departments, without compromising safety,” said Colleen Corrigan, Sustainability and Resilience Policy Manager at SPUR. “AB 1738 creates a clearer, shorter pathway for clean energy projects like heat pump installations that cut pollution, lower energy bills, and safeguard communities from extreme heat.”
“Several local governments in California already offer remote inspections for residential clean energy projects, including Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Placer County,” said Nick Josefowitz, CEO of Permit Power. “AB 1738 ensures that the same convenience and cost savings from remote inspections will be available to all California households, making it cheaper and easier to install solar, batteries, and heat pumps.”
The Home Energy Choice Act (AB 2313), authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), will offer California homeowners the choice to electrify their homes with a voluntary incentive, instead of automatically having their gas hookup replaced under an increasingly costly and unnecessary mandate. Co-sponsored by Earthjustice and National Resources Defense Council, and supported by the Building Decarbonization Coalition, the bill will help reduce energy bills for California ratepayers while improving air quality and expanding access to clean cooling.
Heat pumps move heat to generate clean cooling and heating, using three to four times less energy than gas furnaces and air conditioning systems. This high efficiency helps lower household energy bills. Statewide data from TECH Clean California shows that upgrading to a heat pump for space heating and cooling can save households an average of $304 a year, while switching to a heat pump water heater can save an average of $97 a year. Plus, the report’s recent statewide survey of heat pump owners found that more than 90% of customers were satisfied with their heat pump technology.
Together, SB 222, AB 1738, and AB 2313 reinforce California as a national leader in creating homes that are healthy, safe, and resilient to increasing extreme heat and costs of living. They will also help accelerate the state’s progress to meet the state’s goals of installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. By making it faster and more affordable for Californians to switch to clean energy, this legislation advances public health, affordability, and climate goals.
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ABOUT THE BUILDING DECARBONIZATION COALITION ACTION FUND
The Building Decarbonization Coalition Action Fund (BDCAF), the 501(c)(4) affiliate of the Building Decarbonization Coalition, aligns critical stakeholders on a path to equitably transform the nation’s buildings through clean energy, using policy, research, market development, and public engagement. The BDCAF and its partners are charting the course to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings to improve people’s health, cut climate and air pollution, prioritize high-road jobs, improve energy affordability, and ensure that our communities are more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Learn more at www.buildingdecarbaf.org.
ABOUT SPUR
SPUR—the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association—is a nonprofit public policy organization. Through research, education, and advocacy, we work to create an equitable, sustainable, and prosperous region by working at the nexus of housing, transportation, land use, economics, sustainability, and hazard resilience. One of SPUR’s sustainability and resilience policy team’s goals is to end the use of fossil fuels in Bay Area buildings by driving the adoption of electric appliances in existing buildings and new construction.