As part of the Democrat-led climate agenda, San Francisco regulators have passed regulations that ban future sales of certain natural-gas-powered appliances.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District oversees the regulation of air pollution in nine counties around San Francisco. Wednesday night, the district approved amendments to regulations related to eliminating nitrogen oxides from natural gas heaters and natural gas furnaces. All residential and commercial furnaces and water heaters must be electric by 2027.
This action does not include banning gas-powered stoves. These stoves have been the focus of much attention since a federal agency indicated it would be reviewing the appliances’ impact on public health earlier in the year. Although the Biden administration initially indicated that it did not intend to ban gas stoves in its final statement, it later imposed strict restrictions and sought feedback from the public about their health effects.
The Air District regulations do not require consumers to switch to electric immediately after they become effective. It prohibits the purchase or modification of gas-powered products.
London Breed, the San Francisco Mayor, has supported cracking down gas appliances in her Climate Action Plan. This plan calls for reducing emissions within the city to 60% below 1990 levels by 2030, and reaching net zero emissions by 2040. Because 41% of San Francisco’s greenhouse gas emissions are from buildings, she said appliances will be the focus of future climate regulation.
After the Air District closed a 45 day public comment period on a draft of its environmental impact report, it made these amendments.
A number of Democratic-led municipalities have recently enacted gas appliance bans. Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle have all enacted restrictions on natural gas hookups that affect gas-powered stoves, ovens, and furnaces in the past two years.
After his remarks, de Blasio signed legislation requiring that all new buildings be built without fossil fuels. This law goes into effect in this year. It requires that all new buildings be fully electric by 2027. New York City is now the largest city and first large cold weather city to eliminate fossil fuel combustion.
