Energy Partnership Program

Energy Partnership Program is sponsored by State of California (administered by ACEEE - American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy). The Energy Partnership Program provides grants of service for technical assistance, such as energy audits, feasibility studies, performance specifications, and professional engineering support services for cities, counties, special districts, public hospitals and care facilities…

95. 5 Scored out of 50 Updated 12/2022 State Government Score: 9 out of 9 State Government Summary List All California offers several incentives for energy efficiency investments to schools, industry, residential consumers, and the public sector, as well as PACE financing.

The state government leads by example by benchmarking energy usage in state buildings, requiring energy-efficient fleets and buildings, and encouraging the use of energy savings performance contracts. California is one of the few states to adopt a commercial building energy disclosure requirement, as well as a residential multifamily disclosure requirement.

The state has several research and development institutions focused on energy efficiency investments.

Financial Incentives List All The state of California offers the following financial incentives to encourage energy efficiency improvements: Bright Schools Program : The Bright Schools Program provides grants of service valued up to $20,000 for technical assistance, such as energy audits, feasibility studies, performance specifications, and professional engineering support services for local educational agencies eligible for Proposition 39 funding.

Local educational agencies include public K-12 school district, charter schools, county offices of education, state special schools, and community colleges. California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Proposition 39 K-12 Program) : This program provides funding for energy efficiency retrofits and clean energy generation at school buildings within a local educational agency to increase energy use savings and energy cost savings.

Energy Partnership Program : The Energy Partnership Program provides grants of service valued up to $20,000 for technical assistance, such as energy audits, feasibility studies, performance specifications, and professional engineering support services for cities, counties, special districts, public hospitals and care facilities, and public colleges/universities.

California Capital Access Small Business Program : CalCAP Small Business Program is a loan loss reserve program which may provide up to 100% coverage to participating lenders on losses as a result of certain loan defaults. With CalCAP portfolio support, a lender may be more comfortable underwriting small business loans.

CalCAP Collateral Support Program: CalCAP Collateral Support Program provides a risk management tool to financial institutions for use when a small business is in a strong position to obtain capital except for having too little collateral. It is available to participating financial institutions for loans from $25,000 to $20,000,000, for a wide array of business needs.

PACE Loss Reserve Program : The PACE Loss Reserve Program mitigates the potential risk to first mortgage lenders associated with residential PACE financing. While CAEATFA itself does not administer PACE financing, the $10 million loss reserve available through the program will make first mortgage lenders whole for any direct losses in a foreclosure or a forced sale that are attributable to a PACE lien covered under the program.

As of 2021, over 118,000 PACE loans worth more than $2. 7 billion in financing are covered by the PACE Loss Reserve Program. Two claims were received in 2021.

Energy Conservation Assistance Act (ECAA) : A revolving loan program that provides low-interest (1%) loans up to $3 million to cities, counties, special districts, and other public entities for energy efficiency and clean energy generation projects.

Energy Conservation Assistance Act - Education Subaccount (ECAA-Ed) : A revolving loan program that provides interest free loans up to $3 million to local educational agencies (public school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, and special schools) for energy efficiency and clean energy generation projects.

STE Program (Sales and Use Tax Exclusion for Advanced Transportation and Alternative Energy Manufacturing Program) : The Sales Tax Exclusion (STE) Program, which launched in 2010, provides a sales and use tax exclusion for California manufacturers investing in alternative energy source, advanced transportation, recycling, and advanced manufacturing projects.

Eligible manufacturers may submit applications for up to $10 million in sales tax exclusions (and may submit application for up to $20 million in sales tax exclusion to a large project pool at the first deadline of the calendar year) for facility improvements and equipment.

In 2021, a list of Emerging Strategic Industries was developed to support particularly innovative industries, technologies, and products; the list currently focuses on lithium-related products. GoGreen Financing Program (formerly CHEEF) : Statewide energy efficiency financing platform to facilitate private capital lending for energy efficiency improvements within the single-family, affordable multifamily, and small business sectors.

Known publicly as the GoGreen Financing Programs, the CHEEF incents private capital providers to offer energy efficiency financing with lower rates, longer payback terms, and broader underwriting criteria by offering a credit enhancement in the form of a loan loss reserve.

The GoGreen Home Energy Financing Program launched in July 2016, and as of April 30, 2022, has enrolled over 2,000 loans totaling more than $33 million working with 8 of California's credit unions. The GoGreen Business Energy Financing Program launched in 2019 and has financed 13 projects worth $1. 8 million as of May 18, 2022.

On-bill repayment functionality, which allows the borrower to repay their financing as part of their utility bill, became available for GoGreen Business in 2022. The GoGreen Affordable Multifamily Financing program launched in 2019 and has yet to enroll its first project.

Clean Energy Training and Workforce Development Program: Provides training and work experience for young adult Corps Members implementing projects that reduce GHG emissions. Examples include fire prevention and forest health management, energy conservation, and urban greening.

Farm Worker and Multi-Family Low-Income Weatherization Programs : Reduces GHGs by installing energy efficiency and solar photovoltaics for low-income single-family households, and providing technical assistance and incentives for energy efficiency upgrades and renewables for multi-family properties.

The program is comprised of four components: the Single-Family Energy Efficiency and Solar Photovoltaics (PV) Program, which includes a new program component focused on farmworker housing; the Single-Family Solar PV Program; the Multi-Family Energy Efficiency and Renewables program; and a Community Solar Pilot Program providing the benefits of renewable energy to additional households.

Food Production Investment Program : The Food Production Investment Program (FPIP) provides grants to California’s food processing industry to reduce GHG emissions associated with energy use.

The goals of the program are to accelerate the adoption of advanced energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies at California food processing plants, demonstrate their reliability and effectiveness, and help California food processors work towards a low-carbon future. Program funding is divided between two tiers.

Tier I funds commercially available, drop-in energy efficiency technologies that provide GHG emission reductions compared to current best practices or industry standards. Tier II funds emerging energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that are not widely used in California but have been proven elsewhere to be capable of reducing GHG emissions.

All projects funded by FPIP must perform measurement and verification via actual on-site measurements to quantify energy savings and GHG emission reductions.

Distributed Electricity Backup Assets (DEBA) Program: Provides incentives for constructing cleaner and more efficient distributed energy assets, upgrades, maintenance, and capacity additions to existing power generators that will serve as on-call emergency supply or load reduction for the state's electrical grid during extreme events.

Equitable Building Decarbonization Program: The Direct Install Program provides decarbonization retrofits to low- and moderate-income households. The Statewide Incentive Program incentivizes the increased adoption of low-carbon technologies.

California Electric Homes Program (CalEHP): Incentive program for the construction of new market-rate residential buildings as all-electric buildings and/or with energy storage systems to encourage deployment of near-zero-emission building technologies.

Building Initiative for Low-Emissions Development (BUILD) Program: A residential building decarbonization program that provides incentives and technical assistance to support the adoption of advanced building design and all-electric technologies in new, low-income all-electric homes and multifamily buildings.

Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program (HEEHRA): $290 million in federal funding to be allocated towards low-income (below 80% area median income or AMI) to moderate- income households (below 150 percent of AMI), point-of-sale rebates for purchase and installation of qualified Energy Star appliances.

Training for Residential Energy Contractors Program (TREC): $10 million in federal funding to be allocated to training and education to support contractors involved in the installation of electrification improvements to support HOMES, HEEHRA, and EBD Program. Further financial incentive information can be found in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency ( DSIRE California ).

In addition to these state-funded incentives, California has enabled commercial and residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing and has multiple active programs. For additional information on PACE, visit PACENation . Last Reviewed: November 2024 Equity Metrics and Workforce Development List All California Climate Investments Programs which receive Cap-and-Trade Auction Revenues have implemented $10.

5 billion and of that amount, 25% has gone to programs that deliver energy benefits to low-income communities or households or disadvantaged communities.

In addition to the state’s cap and trade programs, multiple funding programs administered by the Energy Commission have minimum levels of funding that must be dedicated to disadvantaged communities or low-income persons or prioritization approaches to meet either statutory or policy directions.

These include Clean Transportation Program (50%) Gas R&D program (equity scoring) GRDA program (equity scoring) DEBA program (goal of 50%) LDES program (preference) Commonly, these programs achieve high percentages exceeding minimum requirements. Please find more information here .

The CEC manages Energy Equity Indicators data to help identify opportunities to improve access to clean energy technologies for low-income customers and disadvantaged communities, increase clean energy investment in those communities, and improve community resilience to grid outages and extreme events.

This interactive story map launches a set of energy equity indicators to identify opportunities and track progress for advancing the recommendations in the SB 350 Low-Income Barriers Study. Going forward, staff plans to add map applications and widgets for selected data layers.

The CEC created an Energy Equity Indicators Story Map which launches a set of energy equity indicators to identify opportunities and track progress for advancing the recommendations in the SB 350 Low-Income Barriers Study. Going forward, staff plans to add map applications and widgets for selected data layers. The CEC will continue improving its Energy Equity Indicators tool by refreshing its data visualization and mapping features.

This will improve public access to energy-related information and strengthen grant applications with quantitative analyses. It will also enable state agencies to make better-informed decisions on how to address the challenges faced by California communities that are struggling to meet their energy needs.

In September 2022 Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-16-22 directing state agencies and departments to design and deliver state programs to advance equity and address existing disparities in opportunities and outcomes so all Californians may reach their full potential. In February 2023, the Energy Commission adopted the Justice Access Equity Diversity Inclusion (JAEDI) Framework as part of the 2022 Integrated Energy Policy Report.

The framework is a tool for staff and leadership to help guide agency-wide efforts by outlining CEC’s commitment, values, principles, and best practices for embedding energy equity and environmental justice into its programs and policies. The Commission started the JAEDI in response to Pursuant to the Executive Order N-16-22.

The Strategic Growth Council’s California Climate Investments Technical Assistance Program provides technical assistance to a wide range of disadvantaged communities, particularly rural and agricultural communities, and Native American tribes, in energy efficiency and renewable generation.

HCD: Section 107(k) of the current AHSC guidelines awards 6 points out of a total 100 possible points for projects that have documented community involvement and leadership ion the visioning of and development of the project. This community involvement is documented by letters of support from local community-based and grassroots organizations.

For projects located in a Disadvantaged Communities or Low-Income Community, applicants are encouraged to cite burdens from their CalEnviroScreen 3. 0 score.

The California Department of Public Health's (CDPH) Climate Change and Health Equity Section (CCHES) works with various state grant program administering agencies to incorporate features such as prioritizing communities for investment based on CDPH/CCHES' Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Indicators (accessible here: https://skylab. cdph. ca.

gov/CCHVIz/ ) or the California Healthy Places Index (developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California; accessible here: https://www. healthyplacesindex.

org ); robust community engagement and capacity-building, local hiring and job training; anti-displacement and job-creation strategies as we transition to a low-carbon economy; partnering with local health departments; and land use and transportation strategies that reduce the need to drive while improving access to walking, cycling and transit.

CDPH/CCHES has provided input/guidance and tools to several State climate-related grant programs, including: Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities Program (SGC) Transformative Climate Communities Program (SGC) Regional Climate Collaboratives Program (SGC) CA Climate Investments Technical Assistance Program / PACE (SGC) Climate Change Research Grant Program (SGC) SB 1 Adaptation Planning Grants (Caltrans) SB 1 Sustainable Communities Grants Program (Caltrans) Active Transportation Program (Caltrans) Urban Greening Grant Program (CNRA) Although not all of the grant programs have explicitly stated goals for addressing energy affordability or energy justice, CDPH/CCHES' contributions to strengthening these grant programs focus broadly on targeting state climate investments to communities facing inequities and at greater risk of climate impacts.

Many of these communities face inequities in accessing clean energy, clean mobility options, and are disproportionately cost-burdened (including around energy/utility costs).

CDPH/CCHES aims to address root inequities in order to improve living conditions -- this includes aiming to reduce barriers to accessing state resources and programs for clean energy, clean mobility options, etc., and broadly supporting goals for climate, health, and energy justice."

CEC established Empower Innovation platform to connect organizations, government entities, and all stakeholders to funding and partnership opportunities: CEC equity and environmental justice round tables: CEC has been diligent about developing relationships with leaders to partner with to create a clean energy future.

Connecting with leaders and organizations throughout the state to learn from each other and to support each other has been productive for the agency and individuals. Additionally, connecting CEC leadership directly to organizations elevates the work and stimulates more action.

The CEC hosts roundtable discussions multiple times a year with equity and environmental justice leaders throughout the state to discuss topics of interest to both: reliability/SB 100, transportation electrification, building decarbonization/electrification, grants and technical assistance, and debriefing the past year and discussing efforts for upcoming year (included offshore wind, lithium development).

Roundtables are generally hosted by Chair Hochschild with another invited commissioner depending on the topic, along with directors and other staff. The purpose is to have in-depth discussions with leaders to learn about their challenges and priorities and explore ways the CEC’s goals and initiatives can support community clean energy goals. CEC & CPUC have a joint advisory body called the Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group .

Formation of the DACAG was called for in Senate Bill 350 (2015), the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015. The 11-member group meets monthly to review CEC and CPUC clean energy programs and policies to ensure that disadvantaged communities, including tribal and rural communities, benefit from proposed clean energy and pollution reduction programs. Group members are either from or represent disadvantaged communities.

There is a wide range of expertise on the DACAG including research, workforce, tribal, regional, energy, ports, transportation, geographical and more. The Energy Commission also holds smaller sessions with subject-matter experts from the DACAG when developing and administering programs and policies in order to ensure the Commission is considering access, needs, and participation of disadvantaged and other underserved communities.

The Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access to achieve an equitable distribution of funding. The Program maintains an active Clean Transportation Program Advisory Committee to gather input and engage with stakeholders.

In 2020 the Commission diversified the Advisory Committee to better reflect California communities and provide increased representation of program beneficiaries, environmental justice communities, rural communities, tribes and others. CARB has an advisory group comprised of tribal and EJ/equity reps from regions throughout the State of California who advise on the Scoping Plan.

See: CPUC leverages CBOs through San Joaquin Valley Affordability Proceeding .

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Office of Health Equity's (OHE) Climate Change and Health Equity Section (CCHES) collaborates regularly with local health jurisdictions, community-based organizations, environmental justice (EJ) partners, and health equity partners to solicit input on various statewide climate change and health-related policy and planning efforts.

For example, CDPH/CCHES served as the facilitator and convener of key health equity and EJ stakeholders in soliciting input to the California State Transportation Agency in developing a policy framework around autonomous vehicles (AVs) that prioritizes equity and health considerations (including the need for AVs to be electrified and for pooled use, equitable access to AVs and other new mobility options/technologies).

Additionally, CDPH/CCHES, in partnership with the CA Air Resources Board, convenes meetings of the CA Climate Action Team - Public Health Workgroup (CAT-PHWG) to address cross-cutting issues related to climate change and health, and provides a forum for communication, coordination, and education across agencies and with stakeholders, particularly local health departments.

CAT-PHWG meetings are open to the public and regularly attended by community-based organizations, and EJ and health equity partners that represent marginalized groups; CAT-PHWG meetings also regularly feature speakers from community-based organizations speaking to the barriers and challenges faced by historically marginalized communities they represent.

CAT-PHWG meetings have focused on various climate and health topics, including the state's Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI), public health and equity dimensions of oil and gas production, clean mobility options and active transportation, health analysis of state climate programs, urban forestry, extreme heat, drought, wildfires and smoke, and more.

Many of these topics have direct or indirect implications for state energy justice and access goals. CAT-PHWG meeting recordings and information available here: https://ww2. arb.

ca. gov/resources/documents/climate-action-team-public-health-workgroup-meetings The CEC’s EPIC program developed many online tools and resources to share knowledge on the program’s clean energy research. These tools help utilities, decision makers, innovators, and other stakeholders strengthen resilience, safety and affordability.

For example, the WISE resource has over 9,700 users and provides training on high performance buildings. This project provided education, outreach and resources for California's new residential building industry. This project provided on-the-job training to homebuilders, installing trades, subcontractors and field crews on the proper installation that will be needed to meet the state's requirements.

Informational materials and success stories were also updated on the project website. Building Industry Technology Academy , a statewide high school program, also develops new curriculum that incorporated WISE into their annual build challenge in Southern CA.

2019 California Energy Efficiency Action Plan: Recommendations from the plan support additional locally led outreach and education, maximizing ongoing workforce development activities across state agencies, and leveraging relationships between workforce educators, state agencies, community colleges, and vocational schools.

California already has active workforce development programs but more work is needed to ensure that family-supporting jobs are created in all communities. Under the direction of CPUC, California IOUs have strong workforce requirements for customers to receive incentives.

Downstream or midstream programs over $3,000 require installation by an experienced installer, or someone with active apprentices, or with a state or federal apprenticeship certification.

The Clean Energy in Low-Income Multifamily Building Action Plan (CLIMB Action Plan Publication Number: CEC-300-2018-005-SF) set forth early actions to implement energy and water efficiency, demand response, on-site renewable energy, electric vehicle infrastructure installation, and energy storage for multifamily housing in California.

The CLIMB Action Plan addresses the SB 350 Barriers Study recommendation to "develop a comprehensive action plan focused on improving opportunities for energy efficiency, renewable energy, demand response, energy storage, and electric vehicle infrastructure for multifamily housing, with attention to pilot program for multifamily rental properties in low-income and disadvantaged communities”.

Strategies in the CLIMB Action Plan include workforce development: "Coordinate with the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) to streamline efforts in education and training supporting the development of distributed energy resources throughout the state, with a focus on multifamily buildings and low-income and disadvantaged communities."

Climate & Labor Report (AB 398, 2017): A report to the Legislature, developed pursuant to Assembly Bill 398 (E. Garcia, Chapter 135, Statutes of 2017), offering the State a vision for ensuring that major climate policies and programs support high-quality jobs with accessible training pathways to them, particularly for disadvantaged Californians.

Just Transition Roadmap: The CWDB and Labor & Workforce Development Agency are working with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to develop the state’s first “Just Transition Roadmap” pursuant to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-79-20 issued in September 2020. Roadmap is expected to be release July 2021. A major focus is on clean energy workforce development.

West Coast Center of Excellence in Zero-Emission Technology : A workforce training and education organization funded by the FTA. This center serves to bring education to transit agencies looking to establish or increase their zero-emission fleets and technologies. CEC/CARB’s joint IDEAL Zev Workforce Pilot : This is a competitive grant solicitation.

The California Energy Commission’s (CEC’s) Clean Transportation Program and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) allocate up to $6,815,000 in grant funds for projects that will provide workforce training and development that support zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), ZEV infrastructure, and ZEV-related commercial technologies in California.

Proposed projects should demonstrate community and employer engagement and a path toward ZEV jobs in the State. The Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, Accessible, and Local (IDEAL) ZEV Workforce Pilot focuses investments on and provides benefits to priority communities.

Key goals of this investment include: Supporting training in ZEV industries Aligning workforce projects in ZEV deployment areas for growth and scale Making training specifically available to priority communities Preparing dislocated, unemployed, and new workforce entrants for ZEV careers Accrue environmental and socioeconomic benefits to California Priority populations include residents of (1) census tracts identified as disadvantaged per Senate Bill 535, (2) census tracts identified as low-income per Assembly Bill 1550, or (3) a low-income household per Assembly Bill 1550.

CPUC’s MOU with California Workforce Development Board : Pursuant to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan (ESJ Action Plan), as well as directives in Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-19-19 (EO N-19-19), the CPUC and California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) (collectively the Parties) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2020 to coordinate economic and workforce development planning, analysis, and implementation activities.

The purpose of this agreement is to draw upon the expertise of the CWDB to ensure the state has the workforce and industry-based training partnerships necessary to meet its clean energy and clean transportation goals, while building pathways into the middle class and beyond for Californians who have been historically excluded from opportunity or shouldered a disproportionate share of climate and environmental costs.

The scope of this agreement includes advice and recommendations to ensure CPUC policies and regulated programs create or support high-quality jobs in the energy and transportation sectors and expand access to those jobs for priority populations through high-quality education and training.

Last Reviewed: November 2024 Carbon Pricing Policies List All California’s AB 32 (Statutes of 2006) authorized the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to establish the Cap-and-Trade Program for GHG emissions. The program began in 2013, initially covering the power sector and large industrial facilities. In 2015, the scope of the program coverage was expanded to include emissions from transportation fuels and all supplied natural gas.

In 2017, AB 398 (Garcia, Chapter 135, Statutes of 2017) clarified the role of the program to help realize California’s emissions reduction target of at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, as mandated in SB 32. The program covers facilities responsible for emissions of at least 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, and it covers about 80 percent of statewide emissions.

About half of all allowances are given freely to either electrical utilities, natural gas suppliers, or the industrial sector, and remaining allowances are available for auction. Allowances allocated to investor-owned electrical utilities must be consigned to the auction, with proceeds used to benefit ratepayers.

Publicly owned utilities may use allocated allowances for program compliance or use auction proceeds to reduce emissions and benefit ratepayers.

From the auction proceeds derived from the sale of state-owned allowances, which are made available through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the state budgeting process, about 6% of collected funds were allocated to energy efficiency programs in 2019, not including the substantial investments that also went toward low-carbon vehicles and public transportation. The state met its 2020 emissions target in 2016.

A total of $13,172,661,191 has been raised in auction proceeds from the sale of California state-owned allowances and deposited into the California Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) pursuant to California Government Code section 16428. 8. An additional $8,492,454,304 was raised by California allowances consigned by electrical distribution utilities and natural gas suppliers.

Of the over $13B deposited into the GGRF, $12. 687B has been appropriated to California Climate Investments programs for projects that reduce or facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gases as of November 30, 2019. Of these funds, approximately $1.

194B has been appropriated to programs with an energy-efficiency focus. ARB, CPUC, and CEC all track avoided GHG emissions achieved through energy efficiency programs. ARB’s California Climate Investments develops GHG and co-benefit quantification methods for each of the energy efficiency programs funded through Cap-and-Trade proceeds.

GHG emissions reductions achieved for each individual program are tracked through an Annual Report . Second, CARB reports statewide GHG emissions annually through the California Greenhouse Gas Inventory Program . GHG emission reductions achieved through energy efficiency programs are indirectly tracked through this program by comparing year to year GHG emissions for commercial and residential buildings.

Third, CARB publishes building related emissions and projected GHG reductions for energy efficiency programs through the Climate Change Scoping Plan . CPUC tracks avoided greenhouse gas emissions achieved through the state’s Energy Efficiency Programs. California tracks first year and lifecycle savings in Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10).

This data is publicly available on the CPUC managed database . The TRC test also includes a $30/ton adder for carbon. CEC is assessing the potential to reduce GHG emissions in existing residential and commercial buildings 40 percent by 2030.

As part of this activity, the CEC has developed and is using a fuel substitution scenario analysis tool that tracks GHG reduction, energy use, and cost impacts from fuel switching. Preliminary information on the tool was shared in 2019 with the final report due in 2021. Pursuant to SB 3232 (2018), the CEC is assessing the potential to reduce GHG emissions in existing residential and commercial buildings 40 percent by 2030.

As part of this activity, the CEC has developed and is using a fuel substitution scenario analysis tool that tracks GHG reduction, energy use, and cost impacts from fuel switching. Preliminary information on the tool was shared in 2019 with the final report due in 2021. The CEC Proposition 39 program tracks GHG reductions resulting from program funded energy efficiency projects in K-12 public schools.

In response to SB 1327 (2005), the California Publicly-Owned Utilities are required to report annually to the Energy Commission on the plans for, budget and expenditures, and energy savings results for energy efficiency programs that they conduct. Since 2008 those reports have tracked estimated GHG emissions resulting from those energy savings.

The most recent annual report indicates the on-going responsiveness of POU energy efficiency programs to state climate change goals, and the need to track the GHG emissions resulting from those programs: “A clear focus on programs that reduce energy consumption in existing buildings and new construction will be critical in meeting the State’s carbon reduction goals … California’s newest policy-driven opportunity, and challenge, is to shift the focus of energy efficiency strategies from kilowatt-hours (kWh)saved to GHG emissions reduced.

” Per EO B-55-18, California does have a statewide emissions reduction goal in place, specifically to reduce emissions 100% by 2045 (baseline year 1990).

Last Reviewed: September 2022 Building Energy Disclosure List All Building type(s) affected: commercial, residential multifamily Assembly Bill 1103 requires nonresidential building owners or operators to disclose the energy consumption data consistent with the ENERGY STAR rating system to buyers, lenders, and lessees.

It went into effect on July 1, 2013, for buildings over 50,000 square feet; January 1, 2014, for buildings over 10,000 square feet; and July 1, 2014, for buildings equal to or greater than 5, 000 square feet. Assembly Bill 802 directed the California Energy Commission to create a statewide building energy use benchmarking and public disclosure program for commercial and multi-family residential buildings larger than 50,000 square feet.

The Energy Commission’s regulations require building owners to report building characteristic information and energy use data to the Energy Commission by June 1 annually, beginning in 2018 for buildings with no residential utility accounts, and in 2019 for buildings with 17 or more residential utility accounts.

Building owners will complete their reporting using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, a free online tool provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Energy Commission will publicly disclose some of the reported information beginning in 2019 for buildings with no residential utility accounts, and 2020 for buildings with residential utility accounts.

Public Building Requirements List All CA Executive Order (EO) B-18-12 , signed in April of 2012, established targets for energy and water efficiency, as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for state agencies. Energy and water use was reduced further in 2019 from baselines. Energy savings targets included reductions in grid-based energy purchases by 20% by 2018 using 2003 as a baseline.

State buildings have already reduced energy use by 21% through 2019 since 2003, while its total building area has grown 18% reducing its overall energy use intensity by 33%. California has already doubled the 2020 water energy savings target reduction.

EO B-18-12 established targets for 50% of newly constructed state buildings and major renovations started after 2020 to be zero net energy, and 100% by 2025, as well as 50% of existing square footage shall include measures achieving zero net energy by 2025. However, in October 2017, a new policy went in to effect in the SAM section 1815.

31, moving up the start date for 100% of new state buildings, major renovations, and build-to-suit leases beginning design after October 23, 2017, to be designed, constructed, and verified to be zero net energy (ZNE). This effectively moved up the start date for these ZNE new buildings by