In California, Bay Area regulators approved phasing out and eventually banning the sale of new natural gas water heaters and furnaces in most of the nine-county region as part of a concerted effort to reduce air pollution. Under the ambitious timeline established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, only zero-emission, electric water heaters can be sold or installed in Bay Area homes or businesses starting in 2027. The same goes for furnaces starting in 2029, and large commercial water heaters in 2031.