Last year, Washington became the first state in the country to mandate all-electric space heating and hot water systems in newly constructed buildings. Starting on Jan. 1, 2024, gas furnaces and water heaters will not be allowed in new commercial and multifamily construction in the city of Denver, and in 2025, the city will no longer issue permits for certain types of gas heating and cooling systems for existing commercial and multifamily buildings. As more and more cities and states seek to follow suit in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it’s clear that regulatory activity is clearly driving the push to electrification and decarbonization.

“There are several challenges when it comes to engineering, manufacturing and selling commercial water and space heating products to meet the various demands associated with decarbonization or electrification-focused policies,” explains Eric Truskoski, vice president of administration and government affairs, Bradford White Corp. “First, we have to look at the policies themselves to understand the standards that have been set and the kind of equipment that will be needed. Our regulatory and government affairs team is deeply involved in this process and works closely with industry organizations and national and state lawmakers to consider practical clean energy policies. From there, our engineering, purchasing and manufacturing teams resources step in to design and manufacture products that not only meet energy and other standards, but also account for the challenges of the field. And this is where policy and practicality sometimes don’t necessarily align, especially when you look at the current power infrastructure and building designs.”