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.
