How to stop the AQMD from raising your energy costs – San Bernardino Sun

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is attempting to raise your energy costs right under your nose, hoping you won’t notice — until you realize how much it costs to purchase a new “all-electric” furnace or water heater.

You heard that right. SCAQMD, the regional agency that regulates stationary sources of air pollution, last fall introduced two proposed rules, 1111 and 1121 that would mandate consumers and commercial businesses purchase “all-electric” appliances or pay for the privilege of keeping natural gas appliances. These mandated new electric appliances, including interior furnaces and water heaters, will cost consumers thousands more than their current natural gas appliances. Otherwise, manufacturers would have to pay an exorbitant fee to continue covering natural gas furnaces and water heaters — fees that will most certainly be passed along to consumers.

The SCAQMD Governing Board will vote on amended Rules 1111 and 1121 in early June. Some estimates show a cost of nearly $50,000 per household to switch to all-electric furnaces and/or water heaters. Most homes will require upgrades to their electrical panel and wiring to accommodate the new electric appliances. On top of that, permits will likely be needed for the installation of new electrical equipment, adding to the overall cost. California is unaffordable for millions of Californians coping with the onerous cost of living. These mandates are hard to reconcile for families and businesses facing economic challenges.

I propose a viable solution: Technology exists to make natural gas appliances even more environmentally friendly — without imposing extra costs on consumers. Enforce ultra-low NOx emission standards on natural gas appliances — a technology available today. Such a step could have a measurable impact on achieving clean air standards and protecting consumer’s pocketbooks.

For decades, SCAQMD has stood as a neutral arbiter in ensuring air quality and safety for the people of the Southern California region. Regulators would set emissions limits and allow the market to determine which product or fuel would best meet those limits. Today’s regulators have unilaterally determined that a mandate requiring electric water heaters and furnaces (very likely to extend to a complete line of residential and commercial appliances in the near future) is the only path to achieve zero emissions air quality.

Opposition from homeowners, small businesses, landlords, and renters has slowed but not stopped the push to electric-only options. We haven’t even addressed how California’s ill-equipped electric grid capacity will fare with this massive push toward electric-only appliances, automobiles and trucks. And we haven’t discussed the other significant demands for electric power: Millions of new electric devices and servers pulling power from the grid. We risk even more frequent brownouts or outages.