The General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7019 mandates the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to conduct a comprehensive study on potential incentives aimed at encouraging the replacement of residential electric resistance heating systems with more energy-efficient alternatives, such as heat pumps. The study will assess the prevalence of electric resistance heating systems in residential buildings, evaluate existing state and federal incentive programs, analyze the costs and benefits of replacing these systems—including energy savings and carbon emissions reductions—and provide recommendations for new or enhanced state incentive programs. Additionally, it will identify barriers to participation in these programs and propose strategies to overcome them.

The bill requires the findings of this study to be reported to the relevant joint standing committee of the General Assembly by February 1, 2026. The new legal language introduced in this bill includes provisions for the study and its requirements, while the bill also includes a deletion of previous formatting language regarding proposed deletions and additions. The act is set to take effect upon passage, establishing a new section in the law focused on this initiative.