2025
CA SB 647 2025 | Introduced February 20, 2025
- Strikes out most of the bill, and now the bill adds to the membership of the Low-Income Oversight Board that advises the Public Utility Commission on low-income electric, gas, and water customer issues.
- Requires the Low-Income Oversight Board, on or before 1/1/2027, to conduct an assessment of state and ratepayer-funded energy-efficiency incentives provided to low-income residents and to low-to-moderate income residents, which would include, among other things, recommendations for options to address the energy assistance needs of low-to-moderate income California households with household incomes that exceed the thresholds for existing low-income programs, as provided.
- Requires the Low-Income Oversight Board to publish its final assessment on its internet website on or before 7/1/2027.
- Earlier version of the bill included the following provisions:
- Requires a program to ensure that all eligible low-to-moderate income electricity and gas customers be given the opportunity to participate in low-to-moderate income energy efficiency programs that are designed to provide long-term reductions in energy consumption at the dwelling unit, to ensure that these programs prioritize advanced upgrades including heat pumps, efficient heating, ventilation, and air cooling systems, and deep weatherization measures to achieve increased savings on energy costs per household.
- Requires the Low-Income Oversight Board to advise the PUC on low-2-moderate income electric, gas, and water customer issues and would add a member to be selected by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) and a member to be selected by the State Air Resources Board.
- Requires the Low-Income Oversight Board, in conjunction with the PUC and the Energy Commission, to integrate, to the extent feasible, the administration of the Energy Savings Assistance Program and the Equitable Building Decarbonization Program in order to, among other things, align program rules and objectives to eliminate redundancies and simplify participation for eligible households.
- Requires the Energy Savings Assistance Program to serve households of low-to-moderate income instead of low-income households.
- Requires the PUC to require an electrical or gas corporation to appoint a program administrator, with specified qualifications, for purposes of the Energy Savings Assistance Program, as provided.
- Requires that the program administrator have certain priorities, including, among other things, reducing utility costs for customers with low-to-moderate income through energy-efficient appliances and weatherization improvements.
CA AB 806 2025 | Introduced February 19, 2025
- Air pollution: oxides of nitrogen: furnaces and water heaters.
- As introduced:
- Specifies that regulations adopted by districts or the state board prohibiting or restricting the cell or use of a gas-fired appliance based on the emission limitations for oxides of nitrogen does not apply to the sale or use of that appliance if the appliance is to be installed with a propane conversion kit for propane firing only.
CA AB 806 2025 | Introduced February 18, 2025
- Mobile homes: cooling systems.
- Appliances & Electrification
- As introduced:
- Makes any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any rental agreement or other instrument affecting the tenancy of a homeowner or resident in a mobile home park, in a subdivision, cooperative, or condominium for mobile homes, or in a resident-owned mobile home park that effectively prohibits or restricts the installation or use of a cooling system void and unenforceable.
- Makes it unlawful for the management or the ownership to prohibit or restrict a homeowner or resident from installing a cooling system in their mobile home or to take other specified actions in connection with the installation or use of a cooling system.
- Prohibits the termination of tenancy for the installation or use of a cooling system.
CA SB 348 2025 | Introduced February 12, 2025
- SB-348 State Air Resources Board: Low-Car on Fuel Standard.
- An act relating to air resources.
- This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would, among other things, require the board to revise the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard program, as provided. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
CA AB 737 2025 | Introduced February, 2025
- Energy: building decarbonization: notice and recordation of a decarbonization charge.
- Air Quality & Electrification
- As introduced: Authorizes gas corporations to impose decarbonization charges on customers receiving such service, just as electric companies are authorized to impose.
CA SB 282 2025 | Introduced February 5, 2025
- Residential heat pump systems: water heaters and HVAC: installations.
- As introduced:
- Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, by 1/1/2027, to establish a statewide certification program for licensed contractors of residential heat pump water heaters and heat pump HVAC systems to obtain a heat pump installation certification, and would require the commission to create a state training program, as described, on residential heat pump water heaters and heat pump HVAC systems for purposes of the certification program.
- Authorizes a licensed contractor to obtain a heat pump installation certification to the above-described program by completing specified tasks, including completion of the state training program.
- Authorizes a licensed contractor with a heat pump system installation certification to self-certify that the installation of a residential heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system meets all relevant code requirements without any requirement that an inspector be present for the installation, and would require a city, including a charter city, county, or city and county to accept a certification for those purposes.
- Requires a local entity to adopt and offer one or more alternative inspection options that do not require a licensed contractor and an inspector to be simultaneously present during the installation of a heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system, to be available to licensed contractors who do not have a certification.
- Authorizes a licensed contractor who successfully completes a specified number of heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system in-person inspections of installations that did not require any cures to use an alternative inspection option, and would require the local jurisdiction to accept the alternative inspection option for those purposes.
- Authorizes a city, including a charter city, county, or city and county, except a specified, to issue up to one nondiscretionary permit per installation of a residential heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system in which the local entity administratively approves an application to install the residential heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system and the application of subject to a limited review.
- Prohibits a local entity described above from applying additional standards on the installation of residential heat pump water heater or residential heat pump HVAC systems as specified, and would require those standards to be null and void unless designed to require the adoption of zero-emission equipment, or improvement of building efficiency.
- Requires a city, including a charter city, county, or city and county, on or before 7/1/ 2027 to implement an online automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and issues permits in real time, or allows the local entity to issue permits in real time, to a licensed contractor for the installation of a residential heat pump water heater or residential heat pump HVAC system.
- Prohibits a city, including a charter city, county, or city and county from charging a residential permit fee for heat pump water heaters and heat pump HVAC systems that exceeds the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged, including that the residential permit fee for a heat pump water heater system does not exceed $50.
- Authorizes a local entity to charge a residential permit fee for the installation of a heat pump water heater or heat pump HVAC system that exceeds $50, if the local entity, as part of a written finding and an adopted resolution or ordinance, provides substantial evidence of the reasonable cost to issue the permit, and would prohibit the local entity from applying additional charges above the advertised fee schedule.
NV SB 314 2025 | Introduced February 3, 2025
- Requires the PUC to review the biennial energy storage targets for electric utilities to ensure cost-effectiveness for ratepayers.
- Establishes licensing and certification requirements for installers of non-residential energy storage systems.
- Revises the definition of “facility for storage of energy from renewable generation.”
CA AB 368 2025 | Introduced February 3, 2025
- Energy: building standards: passive house standards.
- Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, lighting, insulation, climate control system, and other building design and construction standards, and energy and water conservation design standards, for new residential and new nonresidential buildings to reduce the wasteful, uneconomic, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy, as specified.
- This bill would require the commission to evaluate the passive house energy efficiency standards, and, if appropriate, adopt those standards, or any elements that align with the state’s existing requirements, as an alternative compliance pathway for the building efficiency standards established by the Energy Commission.
NV SB 130 2025 | Introduced January 30, 2025
- Increases the value of work that a licensed contractor may perform without needing a license in an applicable classification or sub classification.
- Must be work that does not require a permit, and not work performed by a plumbing, electrical, refrigeration or air-conditioning contractor.
CA AB 306 2025 | Introduced January 23, 2025
- From 6/1/2025 until 6/1/2031, prohibits a city or county from making changes to building standards unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes are modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety. By requiring a city or county to take certain actions relating to building standards, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
- For the same dates, requires a commission to reject a modification or change to any building standard affecting a residential unit and filed by the governing body of a city or county unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes or modifications necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety.
- The bill would also make related findings and declarations.
- Existing law requires the commission to receive proposed building standards from the state agencies for consideration in an 18-month code adoption cycle and to develop regulations, as specified, setting forth a procedures for the 18-month adoption cycle.
- Waives the 18-month code adoption cycle from 6/1/2025 to 6/1/2031 affecting residential units and prohibits the commission from considering, approving, or adopting any proposed building standards affecting residential units, unless a certain condition is met, including that the commission deems those changes necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety.
CA SB 88 2025 | Introduced January 22, 2025
- Air resources: carbon emissions: biomass.
- As introduced:
- Requires the Air Resources Board to adopt rules to account for wildfire smoke in the state’s greenhouse gas emissions baseline.
- Requires ARB to develop a formula to award carbon credits or offsets for avoided carbon emissions due to forest biomass resource disposal, use of biochar, and agricultural biomass.
- Orders the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to research use of biomass for low- and negative-carbon liquid and gaseous fuels, including hydrogen.
2024
7/11/2024
“After months of signature gathering, litigating and legislative wrangling, the final list of measures on the Nov. 5 ballot is set. The Legislature directed the Secretary of State’s office to assign numbers to several, and the office set the others. (Reminder: Prop. 1 was Newsom’s mental health measure that narrowly passed in March.)
Proposition 2: Borrow $10 billion to build schools. Legislative Democrats put on the ballot a bond issue to give $8.5 billion to K-12 schools and $1.5 billion to community colleges for construction and modernization.
Proposition 3: Reaffirm the right of same-sex couples to marry. This constitutional amendment from the Legislature would remove outdated language from Proposition 8, passed by voters in 2008, that characterizes marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Proposition 4: Borrow $10 billion for climate programs. Legislative Democrats also placed a bond issue on the ballot that includes $3.8 billion for drinking water and groundwater, $1.5 billion for wildfire and forest programs and $1.2 billion for sea level rise. In part, the money would offset some budget cuts.
Proposition 5: Lower voter approval requirements for local housing and infrastructure bonds. This constitutional amendment from the Legislature would make it easier for local governments to borrow money for affordable housing and other infrastructure. To avoid opposition from the influential real estate industry, supporters agreed to block bond money from being used to buy single-family homes.
Proposition 6: Limit forced labor in state prisons. Lawmakers added this one late — a constitutional amendment to end indentured servitude in state prisons, considered one of the last remnants of slavery. The California Black Legislative Caucus included the amendment in its reparations bill package.
Proposition 32: Raise the state minimum wage to $18 an hour. This initiative seemed a much bigger deal when it was first proposed in 2021. But under existing law, the overall minimum wage has risen to $16 an hour. And lower-paid workers in two huge industries are getting more: Fast food workers received a $20 an hour minimum on April 1 and health care workers will eventually get $25, though the start date has been pushed back to at least Oct. 15.
Proposition 33: Allow local governments to impose rent controls. This is the latest attempt to roll back a state law that generally prevents cities and counties from limiting rents in properties first occupied after Feb. 1, 1995.
Proposition 34: Require certain health providers to use nearly all revenue from a federal prescription drug program on patient care. Sponsored by the trade group for California’s landlords, this measure is squarely aimed at knee-capping the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has been active in funding ballot measures (see the rent control one above).
Proposition 35: Make permanent a tax on managed health care insurance plans. This initiative is sponsored by California’s health care industry to raise more money for Medi-Cal and block lawmakers from using the cash to avoid cuts to other programs. The measure would hold Newsom to a promise to permanently secure that tax money for health care for low-income patients.
Proposition 36: Increase penalties for theft and drug trafficking. This initiative may be the most contentious on the ballot. It would partly roll back Proposition 47, approved by voters in 2014.”
The Sacramento Bee also has a good summary on the ballot propositions, it can be found here.
CA ACR 175 2024 | Introduced April 10, 2024
(Resolutions/Not a Bill/Controversial author/politics/Author is despised, kicked out of committees, he would hurt us m ore than help.)
- This is listed as an Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 175.
- Listed under Energy Building Codes, Appliances, Electrification.
CA AB 2966 2024 | Introduced February 16, 2024
(2/17/24 stuck/gone)
- Listed under taxes
- An act to amend Section 21080.35 of the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality. AB 2966, as introduced, Alvarez. California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: solar energy systems.
CA AB 3076 2024 | Introduced February 16, 2024
(4/1/24 Referred to U&E. Isn’t moving)
- Listed under Taxes and Appliances
- Existing law prohibits new residential-type gas appliances that are equipped with a pilot light from being sold in the state 24 months after an intermittent ignition device has been demonstrated and certified by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.
- This bill would prohibit state agencies and local governments from adopting or enforcing a rule, regulation, resolution, or ordinance that directly or indirectly results in prohibiting the use of gas stoves in residential or nonresidential buildings.
- The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
CA SB 1455 2024 | Introduced February 16, 2024
(5/24/24 Passed Senate, 6/25 passed Business & Professions, 8/15 passed Appr. 8/20 Ordered to a third reading ***)
- Listed under Licensing/ Installation Requirements
- This bill would delete the requirement that an employment duty statement be included in a specified applicant’s or licensee’s information submitted to the board. The bill would also delete the provision that makes the failure to provide specified information to the board a cause for disciplinary action and punishable as a misdemeanor. The bill would state that “direct supervision or control” for these purposes to mean, among other things, supervising construction operations.
CA SB 1351 Electricity – State Policy | Introduced 2/16/2024
(5/16/24 held in Senate Appr Committee under submission.)
- Requires PUC to provide clean energy infrastructure plan for state to achieve renewable energy and carbon-free electricity
CA SB 1221 2024 | Introduced February 15, 2024
(5/21/24 Passed Senate, in Assembly. 7/2 passed U&E. 8/15 Passed Appr. 8/20 Ordered to third reading. ***)
- Listed under Electrification
- An act to amend Section 451 of, to add Sections 451.6 and 739.16 to, and to add Article 11 (commencing with Section 660) to Chapter 3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of, the Public Utilities Code, relating to gas corporations.
- As amended 3/18/24, requires the PUC to adopt a long-term gas distribution system planning process to evaluate and implement zero-emission alternatives for gas distribution line replacement projects. Orders gas companies to submit maps of all gas lines and projects to the PUC, and requires PUC to designate priority neighborhoods for decarbonization. Requires PUC to establish criteria and methodology for determining the cost-effectiveness of zero-emission alternatives, and for f thermal energy networks. Permits a gas corporation to stop service of adequate substitute energy service is reasonably available. Requires each electrical corporation to offer incremental discounts or other rate adjustments to enable the adoption of building electrification technologies.
CA SB 1237 2024 | Introduced February 15, 2024
- Listed under Appliances and Energy Building Codes
- Replaces the term “natural gas” with the term “methane” throughout the state’s codes.
CA SB 527 Neighborhood Decarbonization Program | Introduced 2/14/2024
2/22 RLS committee, 3/29 EU&C committee, 5/2/23 Referred to Appr. 5/18/23 Hearing scheduled. 2/1/24 Returnd to SecState, Joint Rule 56.
- Requires the PUC, in consultation with gas corporations, to develop an administer the Neighborhood Decarbonization Program to facilitate the cost-effective decarbonization of targeted natural gas zones.
CA AB 2601 Energy Savings Assistance Program: energy-efficient appliances | Introduced 2/14/2024
4/3/24 Hearing Scheduled, U & E
- Requires energy efficient appliances provided by the Energy S avings Assistance Program to only replace replace natural gas appliances with electric appliances.
CA AB 2600 2024 | Introduced February 14, 2024
(5/16 Assembly Appropriations, Suspense File)
- Listed under Appliances
- An act to amend Section 76004 of the Public Resources Code, relating to energy.
- AB 2600, as introduced, Calderon. Energy: fluorinated refrigerants. Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to identify opportunities to assess the energy efficiency performance for low-global warming potential alternatives for current fluorinated-gas-based appliances and equipment. This bill would make non-substantive changes to this law.
CA AB 2513 (2023/2024) | Introduced February 13, 2024
(5/13/24 Passed Assembly, 8/20 REFUSED PASSAGE***Motion to Reconsider/Stern.)
- Listed under appliances
- An act to add article 1.2 (commencing with Section 108530) to Chapter 5 of Part 3 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to gas stoves.
- Prohibits a person from selling, attempting to sell, or offering to sell a consumer in this state a gas stove, as defined, that is manufactured on or after January 1, 2025, unless the gas stove bears a label that sets forth a specified statement relating to air pollutants that can be released by gas stoves and that is attached to the gas stove in a conspicuous location, among other requirements.
CA SB 1095 2024 | Introduced February 12, 2024
(5/16/24 Held in Appr Committee under submission?)
- Listed under Appliances
- Allows water heaters or appliances for comfort heating in manufactured homes or mobilehomes with fuel-gas-burning water heaters or fuel-gas appliances for comfort heating that are not specifically listed for use in a manufactured home or mobilehome. Includes clothes dryers. Provides that the act, including any regulation, rule, or bulletin adopted pursuant thereto, does not prohibit the installation of plumbing, heating, or air-conditioning systems for manufactured homes, mobilehomes, or multifamily manufactured homes from being located outside of the home if necessary to replace an existing fuel-gas-burning water heater.
CA AB 2331 (2023/2024) | Introduced February 12, 2024
(5/13/24 Passed Assembly 6/6/24 – Amended twice and re-refer to to Com . on E.Q.)
- Voluntary carbon market disclosures.
- Existing law imposes various limitations on emissions of air contaminants for the control of air pollution from vehicular and non-vehicular sources. Existing law requires a business entity that is marketing or selling voluntary carbon offsets, as defined, within the state to disclose on the business entity’s internet website specified information about the applicable carbon offset project.
- This bill expresses the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would clarify the law relating to voluntary carbon market disclosures.
CA SB 1054. (2023/2024) | Introduced February 8, 2024
(5/23/24 Passed Senate. 7/2/24 Passed Utilities & Energy Committee, 8/7/24 Hearing Sched-Appropriations)
- Climate Pollution Reduction in Homes Initiative: grants.
- Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to specify criteria for which appliances, which may include water heaters, stoves and cooking appliances, home heating and cooling systems, refrigerators and freezers, and washers and dryers, are eligible to provide financial assistance to low-income households for the purchase of zero-carbon-emitting appliances.
CA SB 1036 2024 | Introduced February 6, 2024
(7/1/24 Hearing Scheduled -Natural Resources)
- Voluntary carbon offsets.
- Makes it unlawful for a person to certify or issue a voluntary carbon offset, to maintain on a registry a voluntary carbon offset, or to market, make available or offer for sale, or sell a voluntary carbon offset if the person knows or should know that the greenhouse gas reductions or greenhouse gas removal enhancements of the offset project related to the voluntary carbon offset are unlikely to be quantifiable, real, and additional.
CA AB 2008 2024 | Introduced January 31, 2024
(5/2/24 Co authors Revised 3/7/24 re- referred to Com on U & E)
- Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to encourage the balanced use of all sources of energy to meet the state’s needs. Existing law requires the commission to administer the Clean Transportation Program to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California’s fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state’s climate change policies.
- This bill would require the commission, upon appropriation for the bill’s purpose, to establish an implement the Hard to Decarbonize Program to provide financial incentives for purchasing renewable propane, renewable hydrogen, or renewable dimethyl either to customers in heating dominant climate zones in California where combustion fuels will continue to be the lowest cost and most effective means for providing space and water heating to buildings, as provided.
HI HB 2368 (2024) = SB 3057 | Introduced January 24, 2024
(1/26/24 – D appears to be stuck in EEP, FIN)
- A bill related to energy efficiency.
- Allows the department of planning for each county to approve a variance for the installation of solar water heater systems. Authorizes the department of planning for each county to impose and collect fees for the administration of the solar water heater system variances.
HI HB 2758 (2023/2024) = SB 3237 | Introduced January 24, 2024
- Listed under appliances.
- Prohibits imported firewood.
HI SB 2677 (2023/2024) | Introduced January 19, 2024
(3/05/24 Passed Senate, transmitted to House. 3/15/24 Referred to CPC Com m ittee)
- Listed under appliances.
- Amends the entity responsible for approving a variance for the installation of solar water heater systems from the Chief Energy Officer to the appropriate county planning department. Requires the fees collected by each county planning department to be deposited into the appropriate county planning department operating fund.
CA SB 938 (2023/2024) | Introduced January 17, 2024
- Listed under appliances.
- An act to add section 748.3 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electrical and gas corporations.
- Electrical and gas corporations: rate recovery: political activities and advertising. The bill would authorize the moneys in the Zero-Emission Equity Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be allocated for purposes of assisting low – income households in transitioning to zero-emission appliances to mitigate air quality and public health impacts of using combustion appliances.
CA AB 1176 Local Electrification Planning Act | Introduced 2/16/2023
Passed Local Govt Committee, 5/17/23 passed APPR, 5/31 passed Assembly?, Sent to Senate, action in comittees, 7/2/24 hearing cancelled)
- Requires local govts in cities/counties 75,000+ to adopt climate action electrification elements.