Energy Commission Adopts Targets to Help Achieve Goal of Doubling Energy Efficiency Savings by 2030
The California Energy Commission has adopted targets that will help the state achieve the goal to double energy efficiency savings by 2030.
The Energy Commission adopted the Senate Bill 350: Doubling Energy Efficiency Savings by 2030 final report at the Nov. 8 business meeting.
The report proposes subtargets for individual utilities and nonutility energy efficiency programs to achieve the doubling of energy efficiency savings in electric and natural gas uses by 2030 as required by Senate Bill 350.
Senate Bill 350 established new energy efficiency and renewable electricity targets to support California's long-term climate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
Achieving the SB 350 energy efficiency savings doubling goal would mean a more than 20 percent reduction in per capita energy consumption in California by 2030.
“These ambitious targets will help focus attention and creativity on harnessing emerging technologies, progressive program designs, and innovative market solutions that together can move the savings trajectory upward,” said Commissioner Andrew McAllister.
Although the adopted targets apply economy-wide, much of the energy efficiency potential needed to meet the doubling goal will come from California’s existing buildings. Strategies for improving the energy efficiency in existing buildings are in the complementary Existing Buildings Energy Efficiency Action Plan.
The Doubling Energy Efficiency Savings by 2030 report contains recommendations on policies needed to achieve the targets in the report. The recommendations include:
• Maintaining funding for energy efficiency programs.
• Rewarding energy efficiency programs that successfully attract private capital, simplifying and reducing the cost of program participation, and tying incentives to measured and sustained performance in the real world.
• Improving code compliance by increasing interagency collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and funding for outreach and education at the local level, especially for local building permit offices and contractors.
• Establishing specific action steps and timelines for responsible entities to realize significant increases in energy efficiency, which is required as part of the update to the Existing Buildings Energy Efficiency Action Plan.
• Expanding the workforce training to improve the quality of energy efficiency equipment installation, consistent with recommendations from the Low-Income Barriers Report and the Existing Building Energy Efficiency Action Plan.
• Ensuring the Energy Commission has the proper regulations to allow for biennial granular tracking and reporting required by SB 350, including analyzing the impact of efficiency targets in disadvantaged communities.
