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.
Fact Sheet - Heat Pump Water Heater Incentive Programs - July 1, 2020
Workshop on Incentive Layering for Building Decarbonization - June 30, 2020
Energy Division Staff Workshop: Assessing Data Needs for Building Decarbonization - June 17, 2020
CEC-CPUC Joint Agency Staff Workshop - Building Initiative for Low Emissions Development (BUILD) Program - June 15, 2020
Decision on Building Decarbonization Pilot programs: D.20-03-027 - April 6, 2020
Information on test for Fuel Substitution in Energy Efficiency - December 10, 2019
Fact Sheet - Building Decarbonization: Fact and Fiction - September 4, 2019
CPUC and CEC Joint Agency Workshop on SB 1477 Pilot Programs - July 30, 2019
Draft Staff Proposal for Implementation of SB 1477 Pilots - July 16, 2019
CPUC and CEC Joint Agency Workshop on Building Decarbonization, April 8, 2019 (Workshop details and presentations)