Equitable Neighborhood Decarbonization Gets the Go-Ahead

The clean energy transition is upon us. But if we’re not proactive about making it equitable, many people—especially renters along with homeowners in disadvantaged communities—could be left behind paying ever-increasing gas prices.

With its newly passed Neighborhood Decarbonization Act (SB 1221), California seeks to demonstrate—through 30 neighborhood-scale decarbonization pilot projects—how such proactive management might work. The law—sponsored by the Building Decarbonization Coalition, Earthjustice, and the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC)—will allow the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to redirect spending intended for gas-line replacement projects to more cost-effective, zero-emission infrastructure projects.