We find ourselves in the month of November, the culmination of election season. I’m honestly not sure where the time has gone this year, but this week in particular, it seems to be standing still. In reality, I know that it’s not, and I’m reminded that even when things feel slow or uncertain, there are so many people working behind the scenes to propel the decarbonization movement forward. And regardless of the results of the election this month, no matter how clear or obscured the path forward feels after the dust settles, we have so much to be thankful for, and yet, so much more to work toward and accomplish, together.
We’ll be tuned in alongside you this week, tracking key measures and candidates as results come in around the country, and you can join us on December 12th for a special edition of BDC Presents where we’ll review 2024’s decarb policies and analyze the results of the election.
In the meantime, get ready for a festive BDC Presents next week, November 14th, when we’ll host a holiday-inspired, induction cooking demonstration on how to help you prep your upcoming holiday menus. We’ll see you there.
Yours in decarbonizing, Panama
Events
BDC Presents: Holiday Prep Rally
November 14, 2024 10:30am PST / 1:30pm ET
Get “inducted” into our electric kitchens fan club! Join our own Chefluencer, Rachelle Boucher, as she “talks turkey” in more ways than one with a live induction cooking celebration and information session. Join us in an induction-centered kitchen with guest “chefs” (a.k.a. panelists), as we discuss and demonstrate the wonders of today’s electric kitchens along with holiday entertaining prep and cooking tips.
We invite you to join us for our monthly discussion of building decarbonization policy in California! 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.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Seminar 8: Energy Equity in Home Electrification and Decarbonization
December 3, 2024 - 11 am PT / 2 pm ET
Achieving energy equity in the decarbonization of existing residential buildings is essential to ensure that all communities and households can benefit from a cleaner and more energy-efficient environment, and that we achieve our climate-related goals for the building sector. However, advancing equitable outcomes in this energy transition presents significant challenges. This presentation explores barriers in retrofitting existing buildings to meet decarbonization goals, with a focus on underserved communities that often lack resources for energy-efficient upgrades.
NYS Moves Ahead with Thermal Energy Network Pilot Programs, Public News Service Allison Considine, BDC’s NY Senior Campaigns & Communications Manager, was interviewed for this story on how New York’s Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act (UTENJA) has resulted in NY’s utilities advancing plans to develop 11 thermal energy networks across the state.
California’s Big Electrification Experiment, Heatmap News Last month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1221, a groundbreaking new climate bill co-sponsored by BDC, into law. Heatmap News does a deep dive into the bill, illustrating how a neighborhood-scale decarbonization strategy can help shift ratepayer investments from expensive aging natural gas pipelines toward more cost-effective, clean energy infrastructure.
California Law to Establish Neighbourhood-Scale Electrification Projects, Gas Outlook Beckie Menten, BDC’s California Director, spoke to Gas Outlook about the promise of SB 1221 and neighborhood-scale decarbonization pilots. “The idea is that when there is a gas pipeline repair that’s been identified, you take what would have been spent to repair a replacement pipeline, and instead use that to depart customers from the system.”
LG Hosts HVAC Dual Channel Leadership Summit, The ACHR NEWS Underscoring its commitment to electrification and decarbonization, LG invited Panama Bartholomy, Head of the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) as the summit’s keynote speaker on “The Path to a Decarbonized Future.” Bartholomy spoke about emerging laws and regulations related to building emissions, the trajectory for the decarbonization movement and the opportunity the changes bring for the HVAC industry.
In recent years Minnesota has taken big steps towards decarbonization with the adoption of the Climate Action Framework and accompanying legislation that includes economy-wide goals of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and achieving net-zero by 2050. This goal comes alongside incredibly successful legislative sessions in both 2023 and 2024 that saw new incentive programs for electrification and statewide initiatives around the deployment of thermal energy networks.
In the book Total Garbage by Ed Humes, the chapter on induction stoves explores one of the most fascinating advancements in modern cooking technology. Chef Galarza, intrigued by the promise of this seemingly magical innovation, delved into its history, discovering that the science behind induction is not new. If all that wasn’t enough, the book also highlights our very own Chef Rachelle Boucher, who is a leading advocate for induction cooking and electric kitchens and co-founder of BDC’s groundbreaking Chefluencer program.
The Switch Is On
The Switch Is On is a consumer inspiration initiative powered by the Building Decarbonization Coalition to educate, inspire, and make switching to electric appliances easier.
Don't forget to join The Switch Is On newsletter, your go-to source for staying informed with all your home electrification needs. Whether you’re curious about upcoming rebates, looking to upgrade your appliances, or ready to take steps toward a more efficient home, we’ll provide timely updates to help you make the most of these opportunities.
Furthering our commitment to knowledge sharing, we are excited to continue our seasonal ‘Report Roundup’ segment to highlight insightful reports from other organizations across the building decarbonization movement and share the latest developments, best practices, and strategies.
Wake Up Call: A Community Case Study on Emerging Bluelining Practices The Greenlining Institute, October 2024 Bluelining is a discriminatory practice where financial institutions withdraw services or increase costs in areas considered to be “high risk” for climate disasters like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. This report, a follow-up to Greenlining Institute’s 2023 report on Bluelining, assesses the impact of this practice on 18 metropolitan regions across the U.S. on the frontlines of climate change, and offers recommendations for financial institutions and decision-makers to address root causes of bluelining and to make frontline communities more resilient.
Inclusive Workforce Development Strategies for Building Electrification Building Electrification Institute, September 2024 The Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act have the potential to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. However, “not all jobs are created equal,” according to this new BEI report, and currently, “about two-thirds of projected new jobs from building electrification are expected to be High Road jobs” while “over one-third of jobs are expected to be Low Road jobs.” This report provides policymakers with a guide to develop inclusive workforce strategies for building decarbonization to help shift the balance in favor of family-sustainable jobs for a just clean energy transition.
Making Decarbonization Financing Work for Homeowners and Contractors RMI, September 2024 Through market research and interviews, this report establishes the landscape of financing options that exist today and finds that they are not effective in accelerating decarbonization retrofits for single-family homes. It identifies five elements that can reshape financing programs to make decarbonization more accessible to households across America that entities that control financing could make to ensure that these financing options are accelerating decarbonization efforts.
This report delivers a detailed new chapter in the Future of Gas in Illinois. A deep dive into Peoples Gas, which serves over 800,000 Chicagoans and is among the oldest gas utilities in the United States, the report examines the risks and uncertainties facing this gas utility, its investors, and its customers, and illustrates the broader dynamics that affect the business-as-usual operations, expansion, and maintenance of the methane gas system.
Policy
California
The California Legislature adjourned following the conclusion of both regular session and the special session called by Governor Newsom in late August to address gas refinery capacity. There were many exciting wins in the Legislature this year, including the passage of SB 1221, BDC’s co-sponsored bill authorizing pilot projects for neighborhood-scale decarbonization. Now, Legislative members and staff begin their work developing new bill ideas for 2025. Here’s what on the horizon:
Energy affordability will be top of mind for the Legislature in 2025. Governor Newsom recently signed an Executive Order intended to address rising energy bills. The order, among other things, requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Energy Commission to evaluate public purpose programs funded by ratepayers, and sunset those deemed underperforming. While BDC supports the goal of reducing energy bills, we also urge him to adopt a holistic approach to energy affordability that protects programs that advance California’s climate and equity goals and focuses climate credits on California's most vulnerable populations. We expect to see additional legislative proposals emerge in January aiming to address the costs of wildfire mitigation and utility infrastructure development in ratepayer bills.
Every two years, Californians vote to fill 80 Assembly seats and half of the state’s 40 Senate seats. This year, 24 Assembly seats and 12 Senate seats will open with departing incumbents. While some current Assemblymembers are running to fill open Senate seats, we can expect many new elected officials and staff to be joining us in Sacramento with big policy ideas for 2025.
The Legislature will reconvene for an organizational session at noon on December 2, 2024, as required in the state constitution. While a few early bill ideas may be introduced, we do not expect to see a great deal of movement in the Legislature until January.
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has concluded a series of regional listening sessions to inform the development of a potential rule that would limit the sale of greenhouse gas-emitting space and water heating appliances in California, and transition in-state sales to zero-emission appliances instead. These listening sessions were an opportunity for CARB staff to share information and hear public thoughts. CARB staff have now begun drafting the details of a proposal, and we expect that a draft for public comment will be released in 2025, with the potential for a vote by the Board to take place in late 2025 or 2026. For further information about additional engagement opportunities and updates on the proposed rule, check out the CARB website here.
Maryland
The Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) has submitted a letter to the Maryland House Environment and Transportation Committee expressing support for Governor Wes Moore’s executive order to accelerate heat pump adoption and building decarbonization. The letter highlights the benefits of heat pumps in reducing emissions, lowering energy costs, and improving indoor air quality while aligning with the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. It also emphasizes the importance of federal and state incentives, such as the EmPOWER program, and the integration of Justice40 objectives to ensure equitable access to clean energy solutions. BDC members LG, Carrier, and Fujitsu signed the letter, emphasizing their commitment to supporting workforce development, job training, and creating family-sustaining jobs in the clean energy sector to advance Maryland’s energy transition.
Enable an affordable gas transition through inclusion of the full NY HEAT Act in her upcoming SFY2025-26 Executive Budget proposal.
Funding retrofit readiness with a $200 million program in the state budget to remediate older houses and apartments of low- and moderate-income New Yorkers, readying them for weatherization and electrification.
Requiring gas utilities to do their part to address the climate crisis by requiring the Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Public Service to comply with the requirements of the CLCPA to set and enforce specific emissions reduction targets for gas utilities and the buildings sector.
Funding innovative state projects to lead by example through thermal energy networks at the Empire State Plaza and 14 of the highest-emitting state-owned campuses and facilities identified in NYPA’s decarbonization action plans, and to implement this on an ambitious timeline.
A record number of environmental, climate, and environmental justice groups, clean heating businesses, clean tech companies, faith groups, and health organizations signed this year’s BEEP letter, demonstrating that the building decarbonization movement in New York continues to grow.
New York National Policy Call
On October 8th, BDC’s Allison Considine facilitated a New York National Policy Call, featuring NYS Office of General Services Commissioner Jeannette Moy alongside utility, labor, and environmental leaders, that explored the progress New York is making in developing utility and non-utility thermal energy networks and the opportunities and challenges ahead for New York’s neighborhood-scale transition to clean heating and cooling.
