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    1. Energy Efficiency

    Southern California Edison wants to install 250K Electric Heat Pumps in Buildings and bolster Efficiencies

    Dec. 22, 2021
    SCE estimates that 70% of space and water heating needs to be electric by 2045 in order to meet the carbon neutrality goals of the state
    Image credit AO Smith
    Voltex Hybrid Electric Heat Pump 50 Gallon Electric Water Heater 61c3377e39928

    Southern California Edison intends to install about 250,000 electric heat pumps in its service area to reduce the use of fossil fuels in buildings.

    SCE's deployment would invest $677.2 million for programs to accelerate the growth of the building electrification market over four years to improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The plan requires the approval of the California Public Utilities Commission.

     The plan includes the installation of electric heat pumps and provide incentives for the heat pumps. It will also provide retrofit assessments and incentives for electrical infrastructure. The plan will benefit SCE customers through reduced GHG emissions, reduction in energy usage and reduce pressure on rates. It will prioritize income-qualified customers and environmental and social justice communities impacted by air pollution, extreme weather and climate change. About 81,000 electric heat pumps and 40% of electrical upgrades will be such communities and customers.

    The plan also includes a market education initiative to create awareness about the benefits and availability of building electrification technologies.

    SCE estimates that 70% of space and water heating needs to be electric by 2045 in order to meet the carbon neutrality goals of the state.  

    Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.