DIAMOND BAR, Calif. — Air quality regulators in Southern California heard impassioned public comments Friday before an anticipated vote on proposed rules that would curb harmful emissions from gas-powered furnaces and water heaters.
The rules aim to reduce emissions of smog-contributing nitrogen oxides, also called NOx, a group of pollutants linked to respiratory issues, asthma attacks, worse allergies, decreased lung function in children, premature death and more. Burning natural gas is also one of the primary drivers of climate change.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District estimates that the rules, if passed, will lower NOx emissions from gas-fired furnaces, preventing about 2,490 premature deaths and 10,200 new asthma cases over a 26-year period in the region. The district regulates air quality for 16.8 million people in Southern California, including all of Orange County and large areas of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties — one of the smoggiest areas in the U.S.
The proposals come as California moves aggressively to reduce the state’s reliance on planet-warming fossil fuels and ahead of a 2045 mandate for the state to have net-zero carbon emissions.
The rules would set targets that aim to phase out the sale of gas-powered furnaces and water heaters starting in 2027. It does not apply to gas stoves. The sales target would start at 30%, then grow to 50% in 2029 and end at 90% in 2039. The rules would not be mand