Protect Clean Air Standards that Save Lives and Lower Bills
The Bay Area Air District is deciding whether to keep strong clean air protections on track. Your personal comment to the board can make a real difference — but only if you speak up now.
What’s happening?
The Bay Area Air District — responsible for protecting the air we breathe — adopted clean air standards in 2023 for new water heaters and furnaces. The standards ensure that when it's time for a replacement, new equipment is cleaner and more efficient. These standards are projected to prevent 15,000 asthma attacks and save nearly $900 million in health costs every year.
Now, fossil fuel industry allies are pressuring the Air District to weaken or delay these protections. The board is currently accepting public input. What the board hears from Bay Area residents will shape what happens.
Why does my comment matter?
Under California law, the Air District must read and respond to every public comment it receives. That means your comment becomes part of the official record that the board must address before its decision.
Personal, original comments carry the most weight. The Air District's staff groups form letters together. But a comment in your own words — with your personal experience or perspective — demands attention.
You don't need to be an expert. Comments about how cleaner air and less energy waste would affect your family, your neighborhood, your health, or your budget are exactly the input the board needs. A parent concerned about their child's asthma, a homeowner who switched to an efficient electric heat pump, a renter worried about housing costs — these stories shape policy. Please write a comment about why the proposed clean air standards for water heaters matter to you.
Why do clean air standards matter to you?
A comment in your own words about why clean air matters to you and why you support the proposed clean air standards will have an impact. Just 2-3 sentences is fine, though you can write more if you choose. We'll deliver your comment directly to the Bay Area Air District.
-
Share your personal connection. Do you or someone you love have asthma or breathing issues? Have you dealt with poor air quality in your neighborhood? Have you already switched to a heat pump or heat pump water heater and seen savings on your bills?
Talk about what matters to you. Is it protecting your family's health? Lowering energy bills? Addressing the air quality crisis in communities of color? Making the Bay Area a leader in clean energy?
Be specific about what you want. Tell the board to keep the zero-pollution standards on track with no delays. Ask them not to cave to fossil fuel industry pressure. Urge them to ensure low-income families get the financial support they need to make the switch.
Facts to draw from
-
Gas water heaters and furnaces produce more smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution in the Bay Area than all the region's passenger cars combined.
The clean air standards are projected to prevent 15,000 asthma attacks and up to 85 premature deaths every year.
Communities of color bear the greatest burden from this pollution.
The Bay Area is currently failing to meet federal air quality standards for ozone — these rules are part of the path to compliance.
-
Households that switch from gas to efficient electric heat pump water heaters save an average of $370 per year on energy bills.
The standards are projected to deliver $890 million per year in avoided health care costs across the region.
Thousands of dollars in rebates and incentives are available right now from federal, state, and local programs to offset the upfront cost.
-
The standards only apply when your old appliance wears out and needs replacing — no one has to rip out a working water heater or furnace.
Heat pump water heaters are efficient electric appliances that use the same technology as your refrigerator. New 120-volt models can plug into a standard outlet — no electrical panel upgrade needed.
The Air District has built in flexibility for genuine hardship cases, including exemptions for low-income households and homes with electrical constraints.
-
The fossil fuel industry is spending heavily to delay or weaken these protections, arguing they're too costly — even though the evidence shows they save families money on bills over time.
The South Coast Air District (Los Angeles area) recently rejected similar clean air standards after heavy industry lobbying and fake AI comments. The Bay Area can't let that happen here. Bay Area Air District board members need to listen to real people like us.
The board is actively taking input now. If the only voices they hear are from industry or industry-directed AI bots, the outcome will reflect that.
Bay Area Clean Air is a coalition working to protect and strengthen clean air protections in the Bay Area. Your comment will be submitted to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors.
Privacy note: Public comments to Bay Area Air District officials are part of the public record. Your name, city, and comment will be made available to the public as part of the Air District's comment process.