Consumer Impacts of Clean Energy: Climate and health benefits from electrifying residential space and water heating

Publication Type

Report

Date Published

12/2024

Authors

Abstract

Clean energy offers many benefits to consumers, including reducing consumers’ electricity bills, lowering total electricity system costs, and providing health and resilience benefits. States can accelerate consumers' access to these benefits with policies that support energy efficiency, demand flexibility, renewable energy and storage. Berkeley Lab developed a series of briefs that explore the consumer benefits of clean energy, and identify actions states can take to promote them.

This report explores the climate and air quality impacts of residential electrification, considering the reduced residential emissions on one side and increased power sector emissions on the other (until the vision of a fully decarbonized electric sector is achieved). In this paper we address this trade-off, asking: In the contiguous United States, what are the net climate and health impacts of switching a portion (1%) of fossil fueled residential space or water heating to heat pumps?

Year of Publication

2024

Organization

Research Areas

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