After hearing worries about costs, timing and whether homes can handle the change, Bay Area air regulators are weighing a slower rollout for the region’s move away from newly installed gas water heaters.
If adopted, the changes would push back the deadline and broaden who can qualify for exemptions while keeping the cleaner air effort intact.
What happened?
According to CBS News Bay Area, the Bay Area Air District is considering updates to its water heater rule that would move the start date back one year, to January 2028, and add exceptions for low-income property owners and others facing major upgrade barriers.
The original rule did not require anyone to remove a working water heater. Once a unit needs replacement, though, the new one would have to be a zero-NOx model, meaning it produces no nitrogen oxides…