Building Decarbonization

Background

The California Energy Commission’s 2018 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) Update found that greenhouse gas emissions from buildings are second only to transportation, and recommended developing a plan to assess the feasibility of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.

In September 2018, Governor Brown signed two bills into law related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, SB 1477 (Stern) and AB 3232 (Friedman). SB 1477 calls on the CPUC to develop, in consultation with the California Energy Commission, two programs (BUILD and TECH) aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings. AB 3232 calls on the Energy Commission to, by 2021, develop an assessment of the feasibility of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of California’s buildings 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, working in consultation with the CPUC and other state agencies.

In January 2019, the CPUC instituted a new rulemaking on building decarbonization (R.19-01-011). The proposed scope of the rulemaking includes: 1) implementing SB 1477; 2) potential pilot programs to address new construction in areas damaged by wildfires; 3) coordinating CPUC policies with Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards and Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Standards developed at the Energy Commission; and 4) establishing a building decarbonization policy framework.

For more information, contact Rory Cox at rory.cox@cpuc.ca.gov or 415-703-1093

Proceeding information, rulings, and party comments can be read on the R.19-01-011 docket card: https://apps.cpuc.ca.gov/apex/f?p=401:5:0::NO:RP,5,RIR,57,RIR::

What's New

September 15, 2020 - Energy Division held a workshop on the Phase II staff proposal covering the Wildfire and Natural Disaster Resiliency Rebuild (WNDRR) program and the electric water heating baseline adjustments. The final presentation slides are available here and the workshop recording is available here.