Peeking behind the $2.9 billion California regulators intend to spend on energy efficiency programs implemented by the state’s major private-sector utilities, the plans appear to be driven by a combination of technology and political/regulatory advancements.

In place of utility proposals that outlined more than 300 separate programs in March 2008, if the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) proposal outlined last Tuesday is adopted the utilities on Jan. 1 will have 12 statewide programs to launch. The programs are supposed to be consistent with the utilities’ varying service territories.

“Each utility also will offer additional smaller programs to meet unique conditions in its service area or to pilot a new approach, but all programs will be meshed into statewide efforts,” the CPUC energy division staff proposal said.

Programs will cover residential, lighting, commercial, new construction, industrial, agricultural, heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC), codes/standards, integrated demand side management, workforce education/training, marketing/education/outreach and emerging technologies.

The CPUC proposal calls for “the largest and most comprehensive” residential retrofit effort in the nation, with each of the major utilities offering a “tiered suite” of residential savings options. The options are aimed at having 130,000 participating households cut their energy use by an average of 20%.

“This program, in coordination with the California Energy Commission’s Comprehensive Residential Building Retrofit Program funded through the federal stimulus funds in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA], will capture deep savings potential within existing homes and create green jobs in the growing California home performance industry,” the CPUC proposal said.

Outside of the residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural groupings, each of which will have discrete programs, the CPUC proposal calls for directing $265 million to fund efficiency programs to be carried out by 64 cities, counties and regional agencies. They will be expected to complete a number of programs, including government facility retrofits, along with government-run building code and direct installation programs for both small businesses and homeowners.

Separately, the CPUC is proposing to allocate another $83 million for the state’s college/university and community college systems to support upgrades of campus facilities.

To help oversee the effort there will be five new task forces added to the three already existing. The existing HVAC, education/training and marketing/outreach task forces will be supplemented with statewide panels focused on lighting, commercial zero net energy, industrial issues, integrated demand side management and financing.

From the ARRA funds the CPUC proposal identifies up to nearly $800 million of support in four areas: energy efficiency/conservation block grants ($351.5 million), state energy programs ($226 million), weatherization assistance program ($185.8 million), the Energy Star appliance program ($35 million).

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