This neighborhood-scale pilot program could update entire blocks of homes and businesses to operate entirely on clean, renewable energy, benefiting families, workers, and communities.
The survey results support new legislation advancing in the California Legislature (SB 1221 – Min), which would pave the way for neighborhood-scale decarbonization pilots and ensure long-term energy affordability for Californians. Specifically, SB 1221 allows the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to establish a process for utilities to redirect spending towards zero-emission alternatives when they are the most affordable option instead of gas infrastructure.
“It’s time to make smarter decisions about energy infrastructure and invest in ways that make energy more affordable for Californians while advancing our zero-carbon goals for 2045,” said bill author, Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine). “SB 1221 paves the way for this transition by showing how we can move away from fossil fuels in heating and cooling our homes, reducing utility costs for consumers, and building climate resilience.”
Affordability is a key issue for most Californians surveyed. According to the survey, more than three out of five respondents are concerned that over half of California’s gas pipelines are reaching the end of their useful life and require expensive maintenance or replacement. Aging gas infrastructure is a significant and costly problem. In California, it can cost over $3 million per mile to repair and replace pipelines, which is paid for by utility customers. The California Energy Commission finds that, without intervention, gas bills could reach as high as $600 per month by 2050 due to the high cost of gas infrastructure.
With neighborhood-scale decarbonization, Californians can avoid covering the high cost of replacing and repairing expensive gas infrastructure, which will eventually become obsolete as the state moves towards clean energy. Instead, utilities can redirect this spending to the cost-effective upgrade of homes and community buildings to operate on clean electricity, saving money for users (an estimated $2,000 over 15 years).
José Torres, California Director for the BDC, comments: “The numbers tell us that most California voters understand the importance of having their neighborhoods run on 100% clean electricity. Equipping an entire neighborhood with zero-emission appliances like heat pumps can reduce indoor pollutants and expand access to life-saving cooling. Neighborhood-scale approaches to building decarbonization can help us achieve our climate and clean energy goals faster, save utility customers money, and make this transition more equitable.”
Supporters of SB 1221 and the majority of respondents want to see California achieve a brighter, gas-free future. For example, 70% of respondents are concerned about climate change, and about two-thirds (66%) consider improving air quality to be “extremely” or “very” important.
Gas appliances in our homes and buildings are responsible for approximately 25% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions, about 44 million metric tons annually, equivalent to the emissions produced by nearly 10 million passenger cars on the road. These same appliances are also dangerous to indoor air quality and public health, emitting four times more nitrogen oxide pollution than the state’s gas power plants.
The survey results and the momentum behind SB 1221 suggest that the state is ready to begin a process to phase out expensive and polluting gas from homes and buildings. The pilots enabled by SB 1221 will bring Californians closer to a future where neighborhoods are powered by renewable energy.