The bill empowers the State Energy Commission by authorizing it to adopt, amend, or rescind guidelines regarding energy benchmarking, thereby enhancing its outreach and enforcement capabilities. The legislation includes an appropriation of $10 million from the State budget for these activities, targeting improvements in compliance and data quality within the Building Energy Benchmarking Program. The bill is part of a broader initiative to track energy consumption and support goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in California through increased energy efficiency.
Summary
Senate Bill 500, introduced by Senator Stern, focuses on amending existing California laws related to energy performance benchmarking for buildings. The bill updates provisions allowing utilities to provide aggregated energy usage data for covered buildings to the owners or agents upon request. One significant change is that it enables utilities to use alternative systems for data delivery, as long as these systems are approved by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. This aims to facilitate better data management and compliance with energy performance standards.
Sentiment
Generally, sentiments around SB 500 align with a proactive approach toward energy management. Legislators and environmental advocates who support the bill view it as an essential step toward promoting energy efficiency and transparency in energy usage. However, there may be concerns regarding the privacy and data handling of consumers' energy information, making the debate polarized between energy efficiency proponents and those advocating for consumer privacy rights.
Contention
Notable points of contention may arise around how the bill's provisions affect compliance obligations for building owners and the potential costs associated with complying with these new benchmarks. Opponents might argue that such regulations could impose additional burdens on some building owners. Moreover, the bill does not affect a locality's right to establish its own benchmarking program, which may lead to varied compliance standards across different regions, further complicating the regulatory landscape.