We need to build on the federal climate bill

State and local representatives have good policy levers to tackle emissions from buildings that come from burning fossil gas, mostly for space and water heating. The IRA provides incentives to install electric appliances and there are local incentives too. Programs for low- to moderate-income households are even more generous and, when combined with local incentives, will cover the extra costs of electric space and water heating in most cases; also, costs will likely fall as installations scale. This should give local policymakers the confidence to require that when owners replace gas appliances they do so with electric equivalents, and state lawmakers should set an end date for their sale like the California Air Resources Board recently did for fully gas-powered cars. Most households can electrify using existing electrical panels, but, for those who need service upgrades, the state should ensure low costs and require utilities to respond within days, not months. California should leverage the new federal green bank to expand its own green bank to provide financing for clean technology projects, allowing property owners to spread the cost of retrofits over time at low interest rates. Finally, city councils should set an end date for the flow of gas. Half Moon Bay set an end date of 2045 so property owners and businesses have certainty about the sunset period, giving them time to prepare.

Transportation is California’s top emissions source so policy should encourage people to use climate-friendly modes of transportation as much as possible and to electrify their remaining personal vehicle miles. Cities should continue advocating for robust public transit to minimize wait times and transfers. Not only is this good climate policy, but it is essential for social justice and economic development. E-bikes are an environmentally beneficial substitute for cars, and rebates are a cheap and effective intervention; they fell out of the IRA during negotiations so state and local policymakers should create their own programs. When more people ride, everyone is better off, including drivers. Cities also need to create networks of slow green streets to create corridors for bicyclists and pedestrians to move about confident in their safety. Finally, EV charging will be critical, especially for people who live in multifamily housing who also deserve the chance to benefit from the EV subsidies in the IRA, lower operating costs, enhanced convenience and better performance. Currently, rate plans incentivize charging overnight, but infrastructure should be sited to enable transitioning to daytime charging when renewables are abundant. In the future, EVs will be able to send some of that electricity back to the grid during the evening when we sometimes have flex alerts, enhancing grid resilience.

A number of IRA grant programs are also available and Californians should get their fair share. They include grants for environmental justice projects in disadvantaged communities, zero emissions school and transit buses, pollution reduction at ports, and urban forests and parks. Finally, our public universities should find ways to access the research funding in the IRA.

From the passage of the IRA, to California’s EV transition, to the nearly 60 cities and counties in the state that have adopted some form of all-electric building codes, the tide has turned in favor of climate action. The World Health Organization found that the health benefits associated with mitigating the impacts of air pollution alone far outweigh the costs of meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. These benefits are in addition to the economic, national security and social justice gains. In a recent survey, the Public Policy Institute of California found that 68% of likely voters favor the state making its own climate policy, separate from the federal government. Climate is a winning issue in California and the Bay Area and our leaders should seize the initiative. Let’s go!

Chris Frank is a Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Climate Action Leadership Team volunteer; Kristel Wickham is the chair of the Sunnyvale Sustainability Commission and Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Climate Action Leadership Team lead; and Lauren Weston is executive director, Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet.