California’s Blockbuster Heat Pump Bill
By
Kiana Kazemi
California has big climate goals—and heat pumps are central to reaching them. But right now, the state is on track to miss its 2030 target by 2 million installations. A new bill, the Heat Pump Access Act (SB 282), aims to change that by making it faster, cheaper, and easier for homeowners to make the switch.
Introduced by State Senator Scott Wiener, the bill tackles a key barrier: permitting.
Permits Shouldn’t Be the Problem
California’s heat pump permitting process is, in a word, complicated. With over 600 local jurisdictions, there is a real patchwork of local permitting requirements, posing a major challenge for contractors who need to learn new processes for each location. SB 282 proposes a major cleanup:
- A single permit for heat pump installations
- Expedited or instant approvals
- Fee caps to keep costs reasonable
- Statewide standards so installers and homeowners aren’t navigating 600 different sets of rules
- A self-certification option for qualified contractors
It also proposes a certification and training program to ensure more contractors are ready to install heat pumps—safely, correctly, and at scale—by 2027.
These changes would help heat pumps compete with fossil fuel systems on simplicity, not just efficiency. And that’s good for both the climate and California homeowners.
The Clock Is Ticking
The state has installed just under 2 million heat pumps so far. To hit the 6 million target by 2030, that pace needs to more than double. Every year of delay puts California’s carbon neutrality goals for 2045 further out of reach.
And it’s not just about the climate. Fossil-fuel fired space and water heaters emit toxic pollution every time they operate, contributing to over 350 deaths in the state, and disproportionately impacting communities of color. Getting off gas isn’t just a climate imperative—it’s critical to speed up access to cleaner, safer air.
Where Things Stand
SB 282 has now passed the Senate and is currently being reviewed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. It’s a strong signal that California lawmakers understand the urgency of fixing permitting—and are serious about scaling up heat pump adoption statewide.
Millions of heat pumps. And lots of thermal batteries.
Permitting reform is a crucial piece of the home electrification puzzle—but still, it’s just one piece. To unlock the full potential of heat pumps, we need systems that are easy to install, affordable to run, and grid-optimized.
That’s where Harvest comes in.
We pair a high-efficiency heat pump with a smart thermal battery that stores energy when it’s cleanest and cheapest. That means lower emissions (up to 90% vs gas), lower bills (up to 30% savings), more comfort, and more grid stability.
With smarter controls and better policy, heat pumps can become the go-to choice in every California home—and Harvest is here to make sure they deliver on their promise.
Read more about SB282 HERE.
.png)
.jpg)
%20(1).png)
%20(3).png)
%20(1).png)
%20(5).png)
%20(3).png)
%20(1).png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(4)%20(1).png)
.png)
%20(11).png)
%20(10).png)
%20(6).png)
%20(4).png)
%20(3).png)
%20(10).png)
%20(6).png)
%20(1).webp)
.jpg)
%20(4).png)
%20(2).png)
.png)
%20(2).png)
.png)
.jpg)
%20copyminimal%20_0.1.jpg)
