BILL NUMBER: AB 1094 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 29, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Williams
(Coauthors: Senators Pavley and Wolk)
FEBRUARY 27, 2015
An act to add Section 25327 to the Public Resources Code, relating
to energy.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1094, as amended, Williams. Energy usage: plug-in equipment.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Commission (Energy Commission), on a biennial basis, to
conduct assessments and forecasts of all aspects of energy industry
supply, production, transportation, delivery, and distribution.
Existing law requires the Energy Commission, beginning November 1,
2003, and biennially thereafter, to adopt an integrated energy policy
report containing an overview of major energy trends and issues
facing the state.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory
jurisdiction over the public utilities, including electrical
corporations.
This bill would require the Energy Commission, in collaboration
with the Public Utilities Commission, to conduct an analysis of
plug-in equipment electricity consumption, as specified, and set
statewide statewide, long-term energy
efficiency targets for the greenhouse gases emitted by
the generation of the electricity consumed by plug-in
equipment. The bill would require the Energy Commission, in
collaboration with the Public Utilities Commission, to develop, track
the progress of, revise, and update an implementation plan to
achieve those statewide targets, as specified. The
bill would require the Public Utilities Commission, in collaboration
with the Energy Commission, to work with stakeholders to address
challenges to the achievement of those statewide
targets.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(1) Residential and commercial buildings and the systems and
equipment within them were responsible for 69 percent of all
electricity consumption in California in 2013, the equivalent output
of 70 500-megawatt powerplants. Under the 2000-13 historical growth
trends, this is projected to increase to the equivalent of 79
powerplants by 2030. The electric power sector is the second largest
source of greenhouse gas emissions in California after
transportation, comprising 21 percent of the state's total emissions.
(2) Plug-in equipment is responsible for two-thirds of electricity
consumption in residential buildings and a significant share of
electricity consumption in office buildings. This electricity
consumption is increasing rapidly, indicating that current plug-in
equipment efficiency policy efforts are outpaced by the growth in the
number of electronic devices and their electricity consumption,
jeopardizing California's ability to meet its energy and climate
goals.
(3) Cost-effective technologies such as those used in mobile
electronic devices already exist to significantly reduce the
electricity consumption of plug-in equipment, but are not used in the
majority of plug-in electronic devices.
(4) California has set ambitious goals for renewable energy and
energy efficiency in the envelope, major systems, and lighting of
buildings, but does not have quantified goals for a category that now
represents two-thirds of the electricity consumption in the state's
residential buildings and a significant share of the electricity
consumption in commercial buildings.
(5) Market barriers, such as a lack of consumer awareness and
information on product lifetime energy costs, and split incentives
between manufacturers who make product design decisions and consumers
who pay the electricity bill, give efficiency programs and standards
a critical role in realizing the economic potential for energy
efficiency in plug-in equipment.
(6) Challenges with the evaluation and the attribution of program
savings to utilities and program implementers, as well as the focus
on short-term savings, are limiting the effective use of these
programs to capture energy-saving opportunities that require upfront
investment to yield large future savings through market
transformation.
(7) The State Energy Resources Conservation and Development
Commission and the Public Utilities Commission have set a goal to
achieve zero net energy for all new residential buildings by 2020 and
for all new, and a substantial proportion of existing, commercial
buildings by 2030.
(8) The Legislature supports the zero net energy goals of the
State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and
the Public Utilities Commission as a key strategy to decarbonize the
California economy.
(9) Plug-in equipment electricity consumption may not be fully
accounted for in zero net energy models, leading to buildings
designed and certified as zero net energy not necessarily achieving
zero net energy in real-world operation when occupants bring in
typical plug-in equipment.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that, in support
of the state's climate and energy goals, plug-in equipment energy
consumption is reduced where technologically feasible and cost
effective.
SEC. 2. Section 25327 is added to the Public Resources Code, to
read:
25327. (a) (1) For purposes of this subdivision "HVAC" means
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
(2) For the purposes of this section, except as provided in
paragraph (3), "plug-in equipment" means an electrical device that
plugs into a power outlet, including, but not limited to, household
appliances, electronic products, miscellaneous electrical loads,
portable and other plug-in HVAC equipment, and commercial plug-in
appliances.
(3) "Plug-in equipment" does not include the following:
(A) Non-plug-in HVAC, including split, packaged, or built-up HVAC
equipment that is typically installed by an HVAC contractor.
(B) Lighting, whether built in or portable.
(C) Infrastructure loads wired directly to the building electrical
system, such as ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers and
outlets, wired smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, and lighting
switches.
(D) Electric vehicles.
(4) For purposes of this subdivision, power outlets include line
outlets, such as 110-volt alternating current (AC) and other emerging
power delivery mechanisms, including Universal Serial Bus (USB),
Power over Ethernet (PoE), and 24-volt direct current (VDC).
(b) The commission shall, in collaboration with the Public
Utilities Commission, do all of the following:
(1) Conduct an analysis of plug-in equipment electricity
consumption, including appliances, electronics, and miscellaneous
electric loads, to assess current use and trends. The commission
shall draw on existing data and already-funded studies
and data where appropriate to limit costs and
reduce the time required to complete the analysis. The analysis shall
focus on the top 80 percent of plug-in equipment average annual
electricity consumption.
(2) Before January 1, 2018, set statewide
statewide, long-term energy efficiency targets for the
greenhouse gases emitted by the generation of the
electricity consumed by plug-in equipment, in support of
Executive Order S-3-05 to reduce greenhouse gases to 80 percent below
1990 levels by 2050. The commission may also set intermediate 2030
and 2040 targets. equipment.
(3) Develop an implementation plan, in consultation with
stakeholders, including equipment manufacturers and retailers, to
achieve the targets set forth in paragraph (2). The implementation
plan shall meet all of the following requirements:
(A) Be comprised of a complementary portfolio of techniques,
applications, and practices that may include, but need not be limited
to: revising existing, and setting new, appliance efficiency
standards; working with federal government agencies to revise
existing, and implement new, federal standards; implementing
incentive programs, appliance early replacement rebate programs that
link purchase and disposal rebates, and upstream market
transformation programs; expanding research and development; and
public outreach and education efforts.
(B) Consider costs and ratepayer protections, consistent with
Section 25000.1.
(C) Use an accurate cost-effectiveness methodology for assessing
the long-term value of efficiency savings and ensure that benefits
outweigh costs to ratepayers.
(4) Track the progress of the implementation plan in meeting the
reduction targets annually through the Electricity
Supply Analysis Division of the commission and the Energy Division
of the Public Utilities Commission.
(5) Revise the implementation plan and priorities in consultation
with stakeholders.
(6) Update the implementation plan, as a part of the integrated
energy policy report required pursuant to Section 25302, with a
report on the progress toward meeting the reduction
targets through the tracking required pursuant to paragraph
(4).
(c) The Public Utilities Commission shall, in collaboration with
the commission, work with stakeholders, including equipment
manufacturers, equipment retailers, and electric utilities, to
address challenges that may limit or inhibit the achievement of the
reduction targets set forth in paragraph (2) of
subdivision (b), including, but not limited to, the evaluation and
attribution of energy savings and the enabling of market
transformation programs.