RCRC, along with CSAC and Cal Cities, opposes Senate Bill 222, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). This measure seeks to impose a permitting mandate on local governments.
Specifically, SB 222 would require cities and counties to offer remote inspections for the purposes of permitting residential heat pump systems, and would prohibit them from requiring a permit or inspection for certain types of wall and window air conditioners. It would also require counties with a population of greater than 150,000; cities located in a county with a population of greater than 150,000; or any city with a population greater than 5,000 to implement an online permitting process for residential heat pumps.
Local governments are aggressively working to improve energy efficiency and encourage the adoption of advanced technologies. However, SB 222 is premised on the notion that local permitting is a significant barrier to adoption. The state’s own research demonstrates otherwise. A CPUC study identified two primary barriers to homeowner adoption of heat pump water heaters: emergency replacement situations and high upfront costs. Notably, local permitting did not emerge as a significant barrier to consumer adoption.
RCRC opposes SB 222 because local permitting is not a barrier to electrification; rather, it is the mechanism through which cities ensure installations are safe, code-compliant, and appropriate for local conditions. Establishing a state-dictated permitting framework for HVAC systems sets a troubling precedent for future preemption of local building, zoning, and land-use authority. SB 222 would also impose new mandates on local governments by requiring automated permitting systems regardless of whether a jurisdiction already processes these permits efficiently, requiring them to incur new software, implementation, training, maintenance, and administrative costs without evidence that such expenditures will materially increase adoption rates.
SB 222 is currently pending a hearing in the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee. RCRC’s most recent letter of opposition can be found HERE.
For additional information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Tracy Rhine.