Energy Commission Debuts Blog On California Energy Policies

In honor of Earth Day, the California Energy Commission is launching a blog to highlight work being done to help California meet the country’s most aggressive climate and energy goals.

As the State’s primary energy policy and planning agency, the Energy Commission promotes efficiency and conservation, supports cutting-edge research, develops renewable energy resources, and invests in game-changing innovation. Since 1975, the Commission’s work has:

• Annually saved nearly 40,000 TWh of electricity—equivalent to the amount used in Orange and San Diego counties—by adopting aggressive energy efficiency building and appliance standards.
• Reduced the use of energy, water and greenhouse gas emissions by siting geothermal and large-scale solar plants that helped California exceed its 2013 Renewables Portfolio Standard target of 20 percent and be on track to meet the 2020 target of 33 percent.
• Eliminated the daily use of millions of gallons of ocean and estuarine water and protected related marine ecosystems by supporting a policy that calls for eliminating power plants’ use of Once Through Cooling.
• Created thousands of green-collar and manufacturing jobs by investing in companies such as Tesla and Sunpower, two California-based businesses that received early stage grants that helped them become global industry leaders.

In this fiscal year alone, the Energy Commission will oversee public funding totaling nearly $800 million. Investments will be made in a range of clean transportation technologies and energy efficiency projects that will enable California to have a 21st century energy infrastructure that promotes a strong economy and healthy environment. We also begin implementing Proposition 39, a voter-approved initiative that will invest $2.5 billion over five years to reduce the energy footprint of California schools. This blog will add a new level of transparency to these and other Commission efforts.

This blog will be a public resource highlighting progress in our six oversight areas:

1. Forecasting future energy needs.
2. Promoting energy efficiency and conservation by setting the state's appliance and building efficiency standards.
3. Supporting public-interest energy research that advances the science and technology through development and demonstration programs.
4. Developing renewable energy resources and alternative renewable energy technologies for buildings, industry, and transportation.
5. Licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger.
6. Planning for and directing state response to energy emergencies.

Our goal is to provide commentary that brings to life the environmental and economic benefits of California energy policies and their role shaping our energy future.

We welcome your feedback and look forward to helping consumers, businesses, the media, elected and appointed officials, our allies, and other key stakeholders understand what is being done at the state level and why it matters.

Subscribe to this blog to get the latest updates on California energy and climate policies that are delivering energy choices that are affordable, reliable, diverse, safe and environmentally acceptable.

Governor Brown signs SB 2X—the bill that set California’s 33% RPS goal— at the  SunPower/Flextronics solar manufacturing plant in Milpitas as clean energy supporters, including the bill’s author, State Senator Joe Simitian, look on. (Photo by Lorie Shelley)