Skip to content

Tens of thousands of gas water heaters in Marin County homes are polluting the air Bay Area residents breathe — and standing in the way of our climate targets. Across the Bay Area, burning gas in homes and buildings, mostly for water and space heating, generates more smog-forming pollution than passenger cars.

It’s a major reason why the Bay Area fails to meet national air quality standards. Our lungs pay the price.

Beginning in 2028, households across Marin and the Bay Area will start to transition to clean electric water heaters like heat pumps when their existing gas water heaters reach the end of their useful lives. This transition will happen gradually over many years — not all at once.

Fortunately, a cleaner future for the Bay Area is on the horizon. In 2023, regional air quality regulators at the Bay Area Air District passed clean air standards (sometimes called “zero-NOx” standards) for water heaters to help get these polluting appliances out of homes — reducing harmful air pollution, preventing thousands of asthma attacks and improving health outcomes across the Bay Area.

In the face of opposition, some of which was apparently manufactured to delay implementation, the Bay Area Air District Board of Directors must stand strong and vote to adopt the standards by Jan. 1, 2028. We can’t miss this opportunity to transition from polluting water and space heating technologies to electric alternatives, which can preserve our air quality while making homes more energy efficient.

Here’s how the zero-NOx standards work: Beginning in 2028, households across Marin and the Bay Area will start to transition to clean electric water heaters like heat pumps when their existing gas water heaters reach the end of their useful lives. This transition will happen gradually over many years — not all at once.

In addition, thanks to technology advancements, the process of upgrading to an electric heat pump water heater has never been easier. Appliance manufacturers, including Rheem, A.O. Smith, and General Electric, now offer heat pump water heaters that can plug directly into a standard outlet — without costly electrical work. With this advancement, many households can install a heat pump water heater in just a few hours. No expensive panel upgrades, no hassle – just the hot water a household needs, minus the pollution. Cost estimates for heat pumps often cited by opponents of the zero-NOx standards do not reflect these newer 120-volt models, which can significantly reduce installation costs in many homes.

Financial support is also available to help Marin County residents – and households across the Bay Area — upgrade to a heat pump. For many households, available incentives can bring upfront costs close to, or even below, the cost of installing a new gas water heater. Stacking these incentives can often make clean electric technology the most affordable choice.

Marin residents may also qualify for financial assistance through the Home Energy Savings Program by MCE (formerly Marin Clean Energy), including up to $3,175 toward a heat pump water heater installation, free home energy assessments, installation assistance, duct sealing and smart thermostat installations.

Air district officials recognize that some property owners will face technical or financial challenges during the transition. Proposed amendments to the zero-NOx standards will provide flexibility and exemptions to ensure that no households are overly burdened. District staff estimate that up to 38% of water heater installations could qualify for exemptions, including ones that present electrical, space or financial challenges. The exemption process is designed to minimize burdens on property owners, with determinations being made by the property owners or their contractors.

Notwithstanding the broad scope of these accommodations and hardship exemptions, the benefits of moving forward now are significant. According to Bay Area Air District estimates, the zero-NOx appliance standards could ultimately prevent 15,000 asthma attacks annually, save $890 million each year in avoided health costs and lost productivity, and reduce by 95% the smog-forming pollution from water and space heating. Implementation of the water heater standards alone would deliver roughly half of these benefits.

Communities throughout Marin have also identified the transition away from fossil fuel use in buildings as a key priority in their climate action plans. Implementing these clean appliance standards would put those plans into practice while delivering cleaner air for everyone.

Air district officials should move forward with practical, flexible standards that protect public health while making the transition affordable. For Marin families, the path forward is clear: implement the zero-NOx standards.

Al Grumet is co-chair of Sustainable Mill Valley, former vice chair of the Mill Valley Climate Action Plan Task Force, and a training coordinator for the 350 Marin high school internship program.