June provides us with a moment to reflect on equity and celebrate inclusion. Pride Month is a time to honor the LGBTQ+ community and amplify the voices shaping a just and equitable energy future.
Last month, BDC’s third annual Sacramento Electric Happy Hour was a fantastic gathering of hearts and minds. We’re grateful to everyone who came out to raise a glass and share ideas on electrifying our future, including local legislators and our stellar Chefluencers. Thank you in particular to our two manufacturing cosponsors at the event, Daikin and Copper.
This month, we'll be co-hosting a webinar on our recently released legislative guidebook for thermal energy networks. Join us on June 26th to learn how state policies can support the development of the equitable and affordable transformation of entire neighborhoods with clean heating and cooling.
Let’s keep the momentum going.
Yours in Decarbonizing, Panama
SPECIAL THANKS
Photo: (left to right) Weldon Kennedy of Copper, Panama Bartholomy of BDC, David Hochschild of California Energy Commission, Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, Beckie Menten of BDC, Clarissa Dominguez of CLCAF, Robin Tung of BDC, Doug Widenmann of Daikin
Sacramento Electric Happy Hour
In May, BDC hosted its third annual Electric Happy Hour, alongside Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris at the historic Sutter Club in Sacramento, California. Our team of talented Chefluencers—Kimberly Ayala, Rachelle Boucher, and Lisa Pinckney-Wong—prepared delicious bites in a live cooking demonstration to show the power of induction cooking and why it’s faster, safer, and healthier for families and communities. Attendees were able to explore the world's first energy storage-equipped induction range from Copper and also learn about Daikin’s highly efficient heat pump, discovering why heat pumps are so popular for home heating and cooling. And of course, we can’t forget the chocolate dipping station!
We invite you to join us for our monthly California building decarbonization policy discussion! Learn about legislation, regulation, and what’s on the climate policy horizon as our coalition works to advance neighborhood-scale decarbonization, statewide healthy air standards, and energy affordability.
State lawmakers are increasingly allowing regulated utilities to pilot thermal energy networks (TENs) to heat and cool entire neighborhoods. But what are TENs, and why should we pass laws enabling them? How can legislation ensure TENs are equitable, affordable, and effective? This webinar, hosted by the Institute for Energy and the Environment at the Vermont Law and Graduate School and the Building Decarbonization Coalition, will introduce the Thermal Energy Networks Legislative Guidebook and share lessons from the existing TENs laws that lay the groundwork for a utility-scale transition to clean heating and cooling.
We Are Winning the Building Decarbonization Fight Less Talk, More Action BDC’s Executive Director, Panama Bartholomy, joined podcast hosts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett to explore how the building decarbonization movement is gaining momentum in the United States. They discussed why heat pumps continue to gain market share in the U.S., utilities are launching thermal energy networks and other neighborhood-scale building decarbonization projects, and professional and home chefs are increasingly embracing induction cooking.
Rebates for Residents: What Green Incentives Are Available This Spring? The Almanac The Switch Is On campaign, powered by the BDC, is highlighted as a source of reliable information with tools that Californians can use to determine what heat pump and other building electrification or energy efficiency incentives are available to them in their area.
FROM OUR BLOG & NEWSROOM
Statement in Response to the FY 26 NY State Budget “We applaud the inclusion of $200 million for Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) in the final New York State budget,” said Lisa Dix, New York Director for the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC). “These investments are a start—but we need a comprehensive, fully funded plan to lower utility bills, upgrade homes at no cost to homeowners, and ensure no community is left behind. As we move into the second half of the legislative session, we urge lawmakers to take the next steps by passing the NY HEAT Act.”
POLICY UPDATES
California
Governor Newsom proposes using $1.7 billion from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to backfill the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE’s) operational budget. Meanwhile, AB 39, a bill cosponsored by BDC that would require cities to prepare for building electrification by incorporating it into their planning processes, was passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. However, another BDC co-sponsored bill, SB 282, The Heat Pump Access Act, which would streamline heat pump permitting, was not advanced and is currently held on the Senate Suspense File.
Legislation that would create an on-bill repayment program, HB25-1268, failed in the waning hours of the session after the State Treasurer opposed using the unclaimed property trust fund to provide the loans to utilities, though there appears to be strong momentum for passage of the bill at the legislature’s next session. In addition, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed SB 25-005, the Worker Protection Act, a bill that would have rewritten the Colorado Labor Peace Act and was a priority for Colorado’s labor movement.
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) continues to hold sessions on Zero-Emission Heating Equipment Standards (ZEHES) rules and has indicated that its proposed ZEHES rules will come next year. On June 3rd, BDC partnered with LG Electronics and MDE to host "The Heat Pump Edge: Winning Customers in Maryland's Zero-Emission Market" webinar for HVAC contractors. The Maryland Clean Heat Coalition has expanded over the past year, adding 11 new member organizations, demonstrating growing stakeholder engagement in the state's clean heat transition.
The New Jersey State Assembly’s Telecommunications and Utilities Committee approved an eight-bill energy affordability package that includes requirements for electric utilities to establish building electrification programs. Stakeholders finished submitting comments on the New Jersey Energy Master Plan’s Strategy 4 (Reduce Energy Consumption and Emissions from the Building Sector) and Strategy 5 (Decarbonize and Modernize New Jersey's Energy System). And a May 12th thermal energy networks webinar, co-hosted by Newark Alliance, NAIOP, NJ League of Conservation Voters, and ReThink Energy NJ, showcased neighborhood-scale thermal energy networks’ (TENs’) potential in New Jersey.
The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) issued orders that would dedicate $1.57 billion in funding for low and moderate-income (LMI) programs in the state’s $5 billion portfolio of Energy Efficiency and Building Electrification (EE/BE) programs. BDC also filed comments with the PSC regarding electric capacity for those in grid-constrained areas seeking exceptions to the All Electric Buildings Act. BDC is thrilled to have helped secure $200 million in the New York State budget for campus and municipal decarbonization projects, including thermal energy networks (TENs).
The Shapiro Administration's comprehensive Lightning Plan continues to move through the legislature. Several parts of the plan, including PRESS (Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard), the PACER cap-and-invest program, and proposed reforms to the state’s Act 129 energy efficiency programs appear to be gaining support in the legislature.
Gov. Ferguson signed the permanent TENs bill (SB 1514), a first-of-its-kind bill that brings thermal energy network companies under the jurisdiction of the Utilities and Transportation Commission, with certain exemptions.
Furthering our commitment to knowledge sharing, we are excited to continue our ‘Report Roundup’ segment, which highlights insightful reports from other organizations in the building decarbonization movement.
Community Health Priorities and Building Performance Policies Institute for Market Transformation, National Resource Defence Council, and Elevate, March 2025 Building performance standards (BPS) are growing in popularity, but currently do not include metrics or parameters that center health outcomes. The report evaluates how to ensure that these standards also address health and affordability inequities. This resource can serve as a starting point for policymakers and advocates to build greater engagement in co-designing policies that address these intersecting issues, tailored to the community.
Transformative Strategies and Common Spark Consulting, May 2025 This report assesses existing policy action around TENs in the United States, ownership models, environmental justice perspectives on TENs, and the potential of TENs to advance energy democracy. It also provides recommendations to deploy TENs that prioritize equity and environmental justice.
Massachusetts Study on Time-Varying Rate Design to Enable Electrification Advanced Energy United and Demand Side Analytics, May 2025 The impact of implementing a time-of-use (TOU) electric rate structure in Massachusetts is quantified, and the report also models the impact of TOU rates and energy efficiency measures on bills and avoided costs, and evaluates alternative rate design options. It finds that if Massachusetts shifts to a TOU rate, it can reduce bill increases by 9% (or $570).
FROM OUR FRIENDS
The New Buildings Institute (NBI) recently hosted a webinar titled Decarbonizing Commercial Kitchens: Electric Appliances for Maximum Energy Efficiency, focusing on the transition to all-electric kitchen designs in both full-service and institutional settings. The session featured insights from Chef Matt Dailey of PLAYTE Kitchen and Chef Mark Duesler of the Food Service Technology Center, who shared practical strategies and case studies illustrating how electric appliances can enhance energy efficiency and labor effectiveness in commercial kitchens.
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