State Assemblymember Laurie Davies hosted a public forum at the San Clemente Community Center on Thursday evening, May 15, to discuss proposed amendments by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) that could impact millions of Southern California residents and businesses. The event, co-hosted by the City of San Clemente and the City of Dana Point, brought together local officials, energy experts, and residents to raise awareness and rally opposition to the proposed regulations.
Davies, who represents California’s 74th Assembly District—including San Clemente, Dana Point, Oceanside, and several inland communities—emphasized her concerns over the affordability of living in the region and the growing burden of state-mandated policies.
“This is a topic I started looking into, because nobody knows what’s going on,” she said, referencing SCAQMD’s proposed updates to Rules 1111 and 1121, which regulate emissions from residential natural gas furnaces and water heaters.
The proposed amendments would require homeowners to replace their gas appliances with electric alternatives once the existing units break down—options that are significantly more expensive to install and operate. Alternatively, consumers could pay a mitigation fee if they choose to continue using gas appliances. That fee would be levied on manufacturers and ultimately passed down to consumers.
Davies called the proposed rules “bureaucratic overreach,” warning that they would raise living costs even further for California families. “Southern California already has an affordability crisis,” she said. “If passed, this could cost consumers over $300 million annually, affecting over 17 million residents.”
Dana Point Councilmember Jamey Federico addressed the crowd, warning that the proposed rules would affect both homeowners and renters, and he argued that the region “just doesn’t have the luxury right now” to absorb such costly changes.
The panel of speakers included Emily Sissell and Sam Iguchi of the Cost of Living Council Coalition; Jessilyn Davis, Energy & Environmental Affairs Manager at Southern California Gas Company; and Collin Powers, Director of Government Affairs for the Orange County Realtors. They presented data estimating that the rules would increase household costs by as much as $24,000 in retrofitting expenses, with little benefit in reducing ozone pollution, given that most emissions come from mobile sources such as vehicles.
Davis explained that while the agency’s goal is to lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, their own analysis shows that even if every regulated appliance met zero-emissions standards, it still wouldn’t be enough to bring the region into federal ozone compliance.
The rules, if adopted, would also place 10 million units onto the already strained electrical grid, increasing the risk of rolling blackouts and driving up energy prices, panelists said.
Powers emphasized that housing affordability is already stretched thin, with the average home in Orange County approaching $1.65 million. “This would put home ownership even further out of reach,” he said.
Attendees were encouraged to take immediate action ahead of the June 6 SCAQMD board vote. Organizers provided QR codes for constituents to submit letters of opposition and sign up for updates. They also urged residents to provide public comment during the hearing, either in-person or via Zoom.
Community members voiced concerns about rising rents, the strain on the electrical grid, and the lack of clear cost-benefit analysis. Some questioned whether eliminating gas appliances would meaningfully reduce pollution, while others emphasized the need for consumer choice, especially in emergencies when electricity isn’t always reliable.
The forum wrapped with a call to action from Davies. “My job is to inform you. Your job is to spread the word,” she told the crowd. “Let your neighbors know, write letters, show up on June 6. This is about protecting our right to choose how we live and what kind of energy we use.”
For more information or to get involved, residents can visit Assemblymember Laurie Davies’ website at ad74.asmrc.org/ or the Cost of Living Council Coalition’s website at nationaltruecostofliving.org/ to submit a letter and sign up for public comment.
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