The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released a draft update to the state’s climate plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that it says will accelerate the transition away from natural gas in transportation and use in buildings.

California heating energy sources

The draft 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan selected by CARB seeks to lay out a realistic path for California to reduce use of all petroleum products by 90% in 2045 and curtail GHG emissions by 80% in 2050. As a part of that path, the plan involves phasing out or displacing natural gas – referred to by CARB as “fossil gas” – through transition programs and the buildout of alternative fuels.

The proposed plan would effectively ban the sale of natural gas appliances, with the state seeking to require the installation of...