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.
Sign now! Join thousands of Bay Area residents telling the Air District: don't back down on clean air standards. We'll deliver your name and message straight to the board.
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 signing matter?
Every signature shows the board that Bay Area residents want cleaner air, lower health costs, and a livable future, and won't stay quiet while polluters try to roll back progress.
This affects all of us: parents worried about their kids' asthma, homeowners who've already made the switch to efficient electric heat pumps, renters worried about housing costs. Add your name and join the fight for clean air.
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: Comments will be submitted to the Bay Area Air District and become part of the public record.