KEY FACTS

EXTREME HEAT IS ONE OF THE MOST URGENT AND DEADLIEST CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE. 

Extreme heat kills more Californians every year than any other extreme weather event. 

IN A HOTTER CALIFORNIA, ACCESS TO COOLING CAN MEAN LIFE OR DEATH.

  • California averages 35 dangerous heat days per year. By 2050, it’s expected this will rise to almost 50 dangerous days per year.

  • Yet in increasingly sweltering Los Angeles, 32% of residents still lack access to air conditioning at home — that’s 1.26 million people in L.A. alone. 

  • In South Los Angeles, a stunning 59% of residents lack air conditioning at home.

  • In the historically temperate San Francisco metropolitan area, only 47% of homes have cooling — a major health threat as temperatures in the region rise with climate change.

  • In the San Joaquin Valley, extreme heat days are expected to increase from roughly 5 days per year to up to 28 days by mid-century, and up to 68 days by end-of-century.

CALIFORNIA NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION NOW TO PREPARE FOR A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN EXTREME TEMPERATURES. 

  • Highly efficient electric heat pumps can provide households with affordable cooling in the summer months while eliminating the need for fossil fuel furnaces in the winter months — tackling a major source of climate and air pollution.

  • Moving from an old, inefficient air conditioner to a high-efficiency heat pump can reduce energy use by up to 50% — lowering energy bills for households while reducing strain on our electricity grid.

  • Holistic home improvements, including installation of efficient electric appliances and upgrades to the dwelling necessary to support the installation and ongoing operations of the appliance(s), are a necessary investment to ensure that all homes are capable of making the transition to highly efficient electric appliances like heat pumps. 

  • Community resilience centers can help meet the scale of the need during extreme heat events in a state where nearly a quarter of households lack cooling.

THE SOLUTIONS MUST BE LOCAL AND ACCESSIBLE.  

  • HEALTHY HOMES ($1 billion) 

    • The healthy homes program will cut administrative red tape and distribute funding to put low-income residents first in line to access holistic home retrofits, installing electric heat pumps that provide energy efficient cooling, which, paired with smart thermostats, energy efficiency and other whole home upgrades will provide long-term, affordable energy solutions and resilience to high heat events. 

  • RESILIENT COMMUNITIES ($1 billion)  

    • We urgently need funding for Community Resilience Centers. This program will construct and upgrade local buildings - such as health clinics, community centers, libraries, schools and other public facilities - to serve communities during climate disasters. 

    • Community Resilience Centers will provide lifesaving cooling and other critical services at trusted, community locations in a manner that addresses the growing needs of working class communities of color and those most vulnerable in the face of the converging climate, economic, and public health crisis.