California Assembly Bill AB2529 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2529AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 21, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Williams FEBRUARY 21, 2014 An act to add Section 25327 to the Public Resources Code, relating to energy. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2529, 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 and the Public Utilities Commission, working jointly, to perform a baseline  study   study, by January 1, 2016,  of energy usage by plug-in equipment, as defined,  in 2014   during the year 2014,  and to develop a coordinated implementation plan to achieve by 2030 specified aggregate reductions in energy consumption by plug-in equipment from the 2014 baseline, with biennial intermediate targets. The bill would require the Energy Commission to report on the progress towards meeting the reduction targets and update the implementation plan as a part of the integrated energy policy report. 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) Energy efficiency programs and standards are essential tools to help California conserve energy. (2) Currently,  the various types of  plug-in equipment, such as indoor and outdoor appliances, consumer and office electronics, and power tools, are responsible for  nearly 60   over 50  percent of residential  building  electricity consumption  and 16 percent of commercial electricity consumption  in California and  their   this  electricity consumption  are   is  projected to increase by 2030. (3) California has set ambitious goals for energy efficiency in buildings and lighting, but does not have quantified goals for a category that represents the majority of residential  building  electricity consumption. (4) Large and cost-effective energy savings opportunities remain available in plug-in  equipment through a combination of incentive programs, partnerships with industry, research and development, consumer education, and efficiency standards.   equipment. There is a need to supplement appliance efficiency standards by expanding existing incentive programs and developing other approaches including partnerships with industry, research and development, and consumer education.   (5) Challenges with the attribution of business and consumer electronics program savings to utilities and implementers are limiting the effective utilization of these programs to capture savings opportunities in residential and commercial plug-in electronics.   (5) Market barriers, such as a lack of consumer awareness and information on product lifetime energy costs, and split incentives between manufacturers who make the key design decisions and consumers who pay the electricity bill give efficiency programs 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 implementers, as well as the focus on short-term savings, are limiting the utilities' ability to achieve market transformation saving opportunities that take longer to implement and require upfront investment to yield large future savings.  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to set a goal for plug-in equipment energy consumption to ensure both of the following: (1) Energy savings opportunities in support of the state's energy and climate change goals are captured. (2) The effective utilization of incentive programs, partnerships with industry, research and development, consumer education, and efficiency standards to meet the state's energy and climate goals. SEC. 2. Section 25327 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read: 25327. (a) (1) For the purposes of this section, except as provided in paragraph (2), "plug-in equipment" means an electrical device that plugs into a wall outlet, including, but not limited to, indoor appliances, such as kitchen and laundry appliances, commercial plug-in refrigeration, and security appliances; outdoor appliances, such as hot  tubs   tub  and pool  pumps and heaters;   pumps;  consumer and office electronics; personal care products; and power tools. (2) "Plug-in equipment" does not include the following: (A) Servers at industrial-scale data centers located in buildings whose primary function is to be a data center. (B) Heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) equipment. (C) Built-in or portable lighting. (D) Infrastructure loads connected directly to the building wiring, such as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) breakers and outlets, smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, dimming switches, doorbells, and garage openers. (E) Electric vehicles. (F) Medical devices  ,  as defined in subsection (h) of Section 321 of Title 21 of the United States Code. (b) The commission and the Public Utilities Commission, working jointly, shall do all of the following: (1)  Perform   On or before January 1, 2016, perform  a baseline study of energy use by plug-in equipment in  both the  residential and commercial sectors of the state  in   during the year  2014. (2) Develop a coordinated implementation  plan   plan, in consultation with stakeholders,  to achieve by 2030 at least a  30   25  -percent aggregate reduction in energy consumption per residential household, and  50   a 40  -percent aggregate reduction in energy consumption per square foot of commercial space, by plug-in equipment in the state from the 2014 baseline determined pursuant to paragraph (1), with biennial intermediate targets between 2016 to 2030.  The coordinated 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, incentive programs, rebate programs, partnerships with industry to promote innovation, research and development, public outreach and education efforts, and efficiency standards.   (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.  (3) Work with stakeholders to address challenges that may  limit or  inhibit the achievement of the reduction targets set forth in paragraph (2), including, but not limited to, the  attribution of energy savings associated with business and consumer electronics   evaluation and attribution of energy savings, and the enablement of market transformation  programs. (4) Track the implementation of the 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.  (c) The commission shall report on the progress towards meeting the reduction targets through the tracking pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) and update the implementation plan, as a part of the integrated energy policy report required pursuant to Section 25302.