In a groundbreaking effort to align commercial buildings and contractors with California’s ambitious decarbonization goals, a local church in Oakland has become a shining example of community-based environmental stewardship by adopting high-efficiency heat pump water heaters through the CalNEXT Light-Duty Commercial Heat Pump Water Heater Pilot. 

On February 1, 2026, Montclair Presbyterian Church celebrated the installation of two heat pump water heaters at an after-service brunch hosted by CalNEXT, a utility-funded initiative designed to identify, test, and accelerate the adoption of emerging electric technologies.  

“The CalNEXT heat pump water heater pilot was formed to address barriers to commercial adoption of light-duty heat pump water heaters. They’re typically used in residential areas, but they serve purposes in some commercial settings like small offices or community-based organizations, which is where Montclair Presbyterian Church comes into play,” explains Kurtis Deschamps, the pilot’s program manager. “By word of mouth, Montclair reached out to us about receiving a heat pump water heater, and we worked with contractors to install two heat pump water heaters at the church.” 

The CalNEXT program's Senior Trade Ally Manager, Adam Popp, spread the word through local outreach initiatives to generate interest in this technology and demonstrate its viability in commercial buildings. Marisa Lee, Senior Program Manager at CalNEXT, further elaborated on their strategy: “We wanted to get some of them out into the world to show contractors that this is a viable technology and possibly a way to get new customers even if you are primarily a residential heat pump water heater installer. If you install them in community-based organizations, that gives you a lot more reach.”  

Montclair Presbyterian Church, known for its progressive and environmentally focused staff and congregation, reached out to the project team and was able to secure a contract. 

While heat pump water heaters offer long-term savings, the initial installation costs—often exacerbated by electrical upgrades and space constraints—can be a challenge for smaller organizations. To overcome the initial cost barrier, the CalNEXT pilot provided contractors with free heat pump water heaters to install at select sites, allowing them to gain hands-on experience with the technology. By combining the CalNEXT pilot program with other California incentives, the church was able to fully cover the costs of equipment and installation. While the pilot program is specifically testing emerging technologies, it is part of a larger research project that aims to benefit all ratepayers, contractors, and building owners.  

Suzanne Jones, a former particle physicist who chairs Montclair Presbyterian’s electrification committee, reached out to the team at CalNEXT after hearing about the pilot program through The Switch Is On.  

“I feel like I got really lucky. I couldn’t figure out if we were eligible because we’re a church, not a business, and one of the people who replied said, ‘There’s this pilot program and churches are eligible,’” Jones said.  

Jones spoke enthusiastically about Montclair’s focus on environmentalism as an “expression of caring for God’s creation,” and described the after-service brunch with the congregation as a “ribbon cutting without a ribbon.” In the future, she shared the church hopes to replace all gas heating pumps in their buildings with heat pumps, aiming to fully decarbonize the campus by 2030. 

CalNEXT is a statewide emerging technologies program implemented by Energy Solutions, an Oakland-based environmental consulting firm that designs and assesses programs that incentivize the use of clean technologies, on behalf of the California investor-owned utilities, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE).  

"It was an honor to join the congregation of the Montclair Presbyterian Church to celebrate the installation of two cutting-edge heat pump water heaters at the church campus. These new technologies heat water with zero use of fossil fuels and no carbon emissions, realizing the commitment of this community to environmental sustainability,” said Chris Burmester, Chief Strategy Officer at Energy Solutions. “Our thanks to Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison for providing the funds and support to make this program possible."  

Robert Marcial, Program Manager at Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Workforce Education and Training (WE&T) Program attended the CalNEXT Community-Contractor Partnership Commercial HPWH Pilot Event. After the presentation, Marcial engaged with congregants about PG&E resources, all in the context of the significance of electrification to PG&E customers and Californian communities.  

"PG&E is committed to supporting customers at every step of their energy-upgrade journey and making electrification accessible for all. It was great connecting with the community, sharing my own electrification experience, and highlighting resources, from the no-cost induction loaner program to educational classes available, that help customers explore practical electric options for their homes,” Marcial said. "Overall, it was a very engaging, educational, and successful event.” 

Because of their performance and ability to reduce carbon emissions, heat pump water heaters are three times more efficient than traditional gas-powered water heaters. With commercial buildings accounting for the largest share of building energy consumption in California, transitioning to electric water heating solutions is a critical step toward achieving the state’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2025.  

For more information about the CalNEXT program and emerging technologies, visit the CalNEXT website.