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Regional agencies brief council on transit projects, groundwater plan and proposed appliance rules; AQMD electrification proposal draws opposition
Summary
Councilmembers reported regional transit, groundwater and watershed activity and relayed a unanimous regional executive committee vote opposing proposed SCAQMD amended rules that would push residential gas appliances toward zero-emission alternatives.
Councilmembers gave a series of regional updates during an unspecified March 2025 council meeting, reporting that transit and water agencies continue to move forward on multi-year projects and that an air-quality panel’s draft rules prompted formal opposition at the Western Riverside regional level.
Transit and buses. A Riverside County Transit Commission update reported ridership up about 10–11% over the previous year and noted a board award to New Flyer of America Inc. to purchase 40-foot hydrogen fuel-cell buses expected on the road by mid-2026. Councilmembers also described early-stage work to extend toll lanes on State Route 91 between the 15 and Pierce, a design step officials said could increase entry points and potentially reduce toll rates.
Groundwater. The Bedford/Coldwater Groundwater Sustainability Authority adopted a proposed groundwater sustainability plan; presenters described the basin as a low-priority basin awaiting further steps. A new board member was appointed as secretary and treasurer and named as the ACWA JPIA representative.
Air-quality rule opposition. Council members reported that the executive committee of the Western Riverside Council of Governments carried a unanimous motion to formally oppose proposed South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) amended rules 1111 and 1121. The draft rules described at the regional meeting would seek to reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions by encouraging or requiring transition of residential furnaces and water heaters to zero-emission alternatives. The regional report characterized the proposal as imposing high implementation costs on residents and called the air-quality benefits “minimal” in that forum.
Public reaction and local concerns. A member of the public highlighted the potential cost to retrofit older homes for electric appliances, saying installing a new 220-volt line and panel work could cost “probably 2 to $3,000” to reach a single outlet at the house exterior; the speaker said older housing stock would be disproportionately affected. Meeting speakers also noted an SCAQMD hearing scheduled the following day where members of the public could comment.
How this matters. Councilmembers framed the regional opposition as a concern about unfunded mandates on residents and urged attention to implementation costs and grid readiness as agencies consider electrification pathways. The council did not take a formal city position at this meeting; the discussion appeared in councilmembers’ reports on regional agencies.
