Why EPA Must Address Appliance Pollution

This RMI fact sheet argues that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should use its authority under the Clean Air Act to establish nitrogen oxides (NOX) standards that phase in requirements for electric appliances. The document highlights the significant health, environmental, and climate impacts of fossil-fuel burning appliances, particularly gas appliances, and positions electrification as a cost-effective solution to reduce premature deaths and pollution.

• Fossil-fuel burning appliances for space and water heating contribute significantly to climate change and air pollution. In 2018, these appliances produced over 643 million tons of CO2 equivalent, representing 10 percent of total US emissions.
• Gas appliances account for approximately 80 percent of fossil-fuel appliances and are a primary source of pollution, emitting more than twice the NOX of gas power plants despite lower overall gas consumption.
• Appliance pollution has severe health consequences and disproportionately affects marginalized groups. A forthcoming study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health estimated that PM2.5 pollution from residential and commercial fossil-fuel appliances caused 5,953 premature deaths in the United States in 2017. Additionally, NO2 exposure levels are 27 percent higher for low-income Black, Indigenous, and people of color than for high-income whites.
• Transitioning to all-electric appliances for new installations by 2030 could result in an almost fully electric fleet by 2045. This transition is projected to avoid over 500,000 tons of NOX and 14,400 tons of PM2.5 annually by 2045, potentially saving over 3,750 lives per year.
• Electrification offers economic benefits, including lower net present costs for new single-family homes in every city studied. The reduction in premature deaths from electrification is estimated to provide over $21 billion in annual economic benefits by 2045, and decarbonization could create at least 2 million new jobs in the energy efficiency sector.

APA

RMI (2021). Why EPA Must Address Appliance Pollution. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2021/04/rmi_factsheet_appliance_pollution.pdf

Chicago

RMI. Why EPA Must Address Appliance Pollution. 2021. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2021/04/rmi_factsheet_appliance_pollution.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Why EPA Must Address Appliance Pollution |date=4 June 2021 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2021/04/rmi_factsheet_appliance_pollution.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2021why, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Why EPA Must Address Appliance Pollution}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2021/04/rmi_factsheet_appliance_pollution.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }