California set to be first state with extreme heat warning system under bills signed by Newsom in June
California is the first state to offer a statewide system that tells homeowners when to shut off unnecessary air conditioning, and when to turn it back on when the heat index exceeds 105 degrees
It’s a system that Newsom, now lieutenant governor, fought to get built before leaving office in January, even in response to a state Senate proposal to delay the installation until later this year
Even during Newsom’s tenure, the lieutenant governor vetoed more ordinances than any governor in state history
The system could mean millions in savings for consumers, according to estimates.
California is the first state in the nation to have an extreme heat warning system. The system, which was signed into law by former governor Jerry Brown in June, could save homeowners millions of dollars by averting unnecessary air conditioning, which is estimated to add as much as $7 a year in electricity costs.
While it might take a while before this system becomes practical on a large scale in the state — and the system itself is currently set up to send its alerts from a central command center in San Diego — news of the heat warning system in California is already having an impact. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti this week announced that the city would install automatic shutoff valves in buildings, and in San Diego, the mayor says the city council will consider legislation that would require automatic shutoffs for buildings with more than 50,000 square feet of living space. And now, one state senator is making a push to require the system for public housing in a way that wouldn’t conflict with some city ordinances.
In addition, there are plans in other states to look at similar systems, and the federal government is also considering plans to do something similar.
This week, a California lawmaker introduced a bill that would require the state’s public utilities commission to make the HeatAlert system mandatory. Current law allows cities and government agencies to opt out of the system – but it’s not clear that this would necessarily be legal, given that it would effectively remove a consumer choice from local officials and leave the California Public Utilities Commission in charge of the system.
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