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State Government "Leading by Example"
The Governor's Green Building Initiative (Executive Order S-20-04) commits the state of California to aggressive action to reduce building energy usage and grid based purchases 20 percent by 2015, and encourages cities, counties, schools and commercial building owners to do the same.
- The state of California owns tens of millions of square feet of general office space and other facilities ranging from prisons and mental hospitals to field offices and campuses
- Buildings-commercial and public-are the single largest segment of energy demand in California. They use 36 percent of all electrical energy.
- California needs adequate, affordable, technologically advanced, and environmentally responsible energy supplies to meet the needs of its citizens and businesses.
Energy Efficiency Measures
Energy efficiency reduces the overall demand for energy, especially during times when that demand is at its peak. Energy efficiency also lowers energy costs; in state-owned facilities that translates to savings for taxpayers.
- • Approximately 1,000 state-owned buildings are candidates for energy efficiency programs under the Memorandum of Understanding signed August 29, 2006 between the state of California and Investor-owned Utilities including Southern California Edison, PG and E, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Gas Co.
- Energy efficiency programs could range from retro-commissioning: a process to optimize existing energy consuming equipment and systems while identifying areas for additional improvement, to retrofitting: bringing aging facilities up to contemporary energy efficiency standards.
- Common energy efficiency measures for existing buildings can include more efficient lighting, efficient cooling and heating, and better energy management practices.
- The cost of energy efficiency measures is more than offset by the resulting energy savings. It's estimated that energy savings in a typical, large state-owned office building could reach 30 percent. The estimated payback period on energy program investments is three to five years.
California's Energy Efficiency Campaign
The California Public Utilities Commission has adopted energy efficiency goals for regulated utilities to reduce the growth of power consumption by more than half by 2013. According to the CPUC, these goals will result in net savings of $10 billion, and in conjunction with programs funded by the public goods charge on utility bills, will more than double the current level of energy savings during the next decade.
- Between 2006 and 2008, California's utilities will invest $2 billion in efficiency to help Californians reduce energy usage and cut energy bills.
- Legislation enacted in 1996 and 2000 authorized CPUC-regulated utilities to fund energy efficiency and conservation programs through a utility bill surcharge including the nearly $17 million worth of funding represented in the Memorandum of Understanding signed today.
(Rev. August 2006) |
