California proposes ban on natural gas heaters by 2030

California’s clean air agency has approved a proposal that would ban natural gas heaters and furnaces in the state by 2030.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) last week unanimously supported the 2022 State Implementation Plan Strategy, whose goal is to meet the federal ozone standard for the level of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere by 2037, according to a press release.

Natural gas combustion from residential and commercial buildings make up 5% of California’s nitrogen oxide emissions, according to the plan’s text. Space and water heating account for 90% of all building-related natural gas demand.

CARB said the state’s less-fortunate residents are the primary beneficiaries of this proposal.

“While this strategy will clean the air for all Californians, it will also lead to reduced emissions in the many low-income and disadvantaged communities that experience greater levels of persistent air pollution,” CARB Chair Liane Randolph said in the release.

The plan, which was first published last month, said it is relying heavily on heat pumps to electrify new and existing homes moving beyond 2030.