Nine states signed a heat pump agreement to clean up air pollution
A State Action Plan to Support Building Electrification in the U.S. to End Gas Hookups: The Case of the Berkeley Letter of Support
In order to support widespread electrification of residential buildings, an action plan is being developed. The first in the nation plan to ban new gas hookups was put down in Berkeley, California, by the fossil fuel industry, which objected to the ban on gas hookups.
“Heat pumps and building electrification is really the future for healthier homes and a thriving green economy,” Serena McIlwain, Maryland secretary of environment tells The Verge. “The fact that we have the support from industry really makes a big difference … The heat pumps are gaining traction.
Buildings are a major source of pollution, accounting for more than a third of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions globally. Power plants in the US release less nitrogen oxide than fossil fuel-burning buildings do. More than 138,000 tons of NOx and 6000 tons of fine particulate matter pollution are created each year by Fossil-fueled heating equipment that is used in nine states, which is why they joined the MOU.
“Climate change poses a significant risk to our long-term economic success, impacts the health and livelihood of our communities, and disrupts the value chains on which we rely,” the letter says. State adoption of more robust building decarbonization policies and programs will help us meet both business and state goals faster and cost-effectively while reducing climate-related health and safety risks.
The plan has the support of some companies, such as Schneider Electric, Ikea, and two of the biggest heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) manufacturer, Trane and Carrier. They signed a letter of support for the MOU yesterday.
“Even though it’s not legally binding, it does plant a flag and set a strong shared target that states are collectively moving in this direction,” says Emily Levin, senior policy advisor at Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM). The association of air quality agencies is behind the effort to adopt an MOU.
“It’s a really strong signal from states that they’re committed to accelerating this transition to zero-emissions residential buildings,” says Emily Levin, senior policy adviser at the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), an association of air-quality agencies, which facilitated the agreement. The states will collaborate, for instance, in pursuing federal funding, developing standards for the rollout of heat pumps, and laying out an overarching plan “with priority actions to support widespread electrification of residential buildings.”
The US has signed an action plan to support widespread electrification of residential buildings as part of a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU). The states will collaborate in pursuing federal funding and developing standards for the rollout of heat pumps, and laying out an overarching plan “with priority actions to support widespread electrification of residential buildings”.