California Energy Commission Launches Watt’s Up Videos with Energy Conservation Tips
In celebration of Earth Day, the California Energy Commission (CEC) is launching Watt’s Up, a video series that educates and entertains households about all things energy – from energy saving tips to programs.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, residential energy use has increased by 20 percent as more people in California are working and learning from home. Our first episode outlines what you can do to reduce your energy consumption. The tips are small tweaks that can save you big bucks on your energy bill.
Here are some simple steps you can take right now:
- Lighting
- •Take advantage of natural daylight instead of flipping the switch.
- •Use task lighting like a desk lamp to avoid unnecessary energy.
- •Replace incandescent lightbulbs with LED lights that are 75 percent more efficient and last 25 times longer. You can use the same LED bulbs every day for about a decade without ever needing a replacement.
The home office
- •Activate sleep and power management settings on electronic devices.
- •Use smart strips to better manage power.
- •Unplug phone chargers, power strips (those without a switch) and other equipment when not in use. Taken together, these small items can use as much power as your refrigerator.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
- •Clean your filters: A dirty filter forces your air conditioner and furnace to work harder, wasting money, energy or natural gas.
- •Turn off your AC when you leave home.
- •Check your AC manual for energy saving tips for your specific model.
Learn more by visiting Flex Alert and Energy Upgrade California.
Helpful and Handy: Introducing the California Clean Energy Almanac
At the California Energy Commission, we’re nothing if not misers on energy use.
The energy efficiency standards we’ve adopted for buildings and appliances over the past 45 years have saved Californians billions of dollars. This nationally recognized leadership has helped keep the state’s per capita electricity use relatively flat during that time so that today California residents use 31% less energy than the average Americans.
Now, the CEC, which is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency, can boast about another kind of energy savings. Our 2020 California Clean Energy Almanac makes it easy to find key facts and figures.
We’ve completely transformed a series of regular reports from detailed compendiums to a handy reference of easy-to-read graphics and factoids about California energy.
Here’s a sampling:
- • The state’s appliance and building energy efficiency standards have resulted in $100 billion in consumer savings over the past 40 years.
- • The electricity sector is leading the state’s greenhouse gas reductions — emissions from power generation have dropped 43 percent since 1990.
- • California arrived three years early in meeting its 2020 goal of having 33 percent of its electricity coming from solar, wind, and other renewable sources.
- • Twenty-two energy innovation startups that received CEC’s Electric Program Investment Charge Program grants tripled their total private investment.
- • About 65 percent of CEC-funded demonstration projects are in low-income or disadvantaged communities, more than double the required proportion.
CEC Chair David Hochschild said the makeover helps to tell the story of California’s commitment to energy efficiency and progress toward 100 percent clean energy.
“It shows statistics and examples of how far we’ve come — and need to go — on the road toward a more resilient, affordable, equitable, and environmentally sustainable energy system,” Hochschild said in the almanac’s introduction. “Transforming California’s energy requires accurate and timely information for decision-makers, consumers and businesses.”
The statistical milestones and examples cover nine areas:
- •Greenhouse gas emissions reductions
- • Energy equity
- • Innovation
- • Efficiency
- • Impacts of Covid-19
- • Clean transportation
- • Investments in clean energy
- • Energy storage
- • Renewable energy
The 2020 Almanac is designed for energy buffs and novices alike. But if you want to drill deeper, the CEC offers detailed analysis on energy markets, power plants, transportation energy, and electricity data — all on the Energy Almanac webpage.
The CEC is the data depository for all things energy-related. Thanks to the new 2020 Almanac, you can conserve time and energy because all the gems are easy to find and explore!
Vice Chair Janea A. Scott Departs CEC and Joins Interior Department
This marks a return for her since she worked as the deputy counselor for renewable energy for the Interior Department Secretary.
At the January 25 business meeting, Chair David Hochschild presented Scott with a resolution recognizing her contributions to the CEC.
California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot acknowledged she made great impact during her tenure.
“As I reflect on Janea’s work at the Energy Commission, I can honestly say that very few people in California have been as consequential to the state’s energy vision over the last decade,” Crowfoot said. “Your vision, your intelligence, your organizational acumen, your example of leadership that you’ve been able to provide have just been huge, positive... consistently ambitious on behalf of the state.”
Scott helped the CEC develop key policies and programs that are helping to lead California to a 100 percent clean energy future. As the lead commissioner for the Fuels and Transportation Division, she shaped the Clean Transportation Program, which investment more than $750 million in projects statewide.
As the lead commissioner for the Energy Research and Development Division, she helped shepherd the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Program. EPIC has been renewed until 2030 through a $1.5 billion investment in clean energy research.
Commissioners recognized her for her achievements and the passion and character she brought to her work.
“What stood out when I started working with you is that you are both a consummate professional and you are so nice to work with,” said Commissioner Patty Monahan. “Now, we have a partner in the Biden administration in terms of advancing clean energy for all and you are going to be such a key leader in that.”
Commissioner Karen Douglas wrote a song about Scott to the tune of “Hey There Delilah” and played it on her ukulele.
Former California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols said she hopes Scott’s new role will help to strengthen the partnership between the state and federal government.
“If there’s one message that I want to send back to her and with her is California is definitely part of the West,” Nichols said. “We are not an island unto ourselves and our relationship with the federal government through all the many agencies that touch on us is extremely important.”
Scott expressed appreciation for time with the CEC.
“It has been such an honor and a privilege to get to work on behalf of the people in California,” she said.
In addition to the formal program, a number of CEC staff provided remarks and offered their gratitude to Scott, particularly noting for her enthusiasm and detailed attention to the work.
Watch a video recording of the presentation on YouTube.
California Nabs Top Ranking From National Energy Efficiency Scorecard
California is the most energy efficient state in the nation, a ranking it last held in 2016 from the national 2020 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.
The top ranking from the American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit that advances energy efficiency, is a testament to California’s clean energy policies and consistent efforts to promote energy conservation and flexibility.
Despite COVID-19 and the economic recession, some states continued to successfully prioritize energy efficiency as an important resource to help reduce household and business energy bills, create jobs, and reduce emissions. California set the pace by enacting energy efficiency building codes and stringent vehicle emissions standards. It has led the charge on vehicle electrification and strengthened lighting and appliance standards amid federal rollback efforts, according to the ACEEE.
In January, California utility regulators approved $45 million in incentives for high-efficiency heat pump water heaters, a crucial technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In September, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order calling for new gasoline-powered vehicles to be phased out by 2035.
Energy efficiency has been critical to the state’s environmental efforts for the last four decades. The ACEEE honor recognizes California’s national leadership and the key role that energy efficiency continues to play in the fight against the climate crisis, Newsom said.
“Our legacy of success in the area—choosing to embrace a smarter way of using energy and keeping energy use steady as our economy and popular grow—gives us confidence to tackle the challenges before us today, and to enable the transition to 100 percent carbon-free electricity,” he said.
The scorecard, which is in its 14th year, tracks the progress of programs and policies by evaluating the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. in the areas of utilities, transportation, building policies, state government initiatives, and appliance standards. California earned a score of 43 out of a possible 50 points, edging out Massachusetts.
Increasing energy efficiency is one of the California Energy Commission (CEC)’s core responsibilities and part of the reason why the agency was created in 1975.
“Efficiency is in our DNA,” said CEC Commissioner Andrew McAllister.
The CEC’s energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances can lower utility bills, cut air pollution, and save water. As a result, Californians have saved up to $100 billion over the last 40 years, according to the CEC’s Clean Energy Almanac.
The ACEEE’s scorecard for California highlighted several efforts that the CEC has led. The 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which took effect in January 2020, are the first in the United States to require low-rise residential buildings to have solar photovoltaic systems.
The CEC runs the state’s benchmarking program that helps multifamily and commercial building owners measure and track annual building energy use as part of efforts to improve the efficiency of their buildings.
