2008 Standards Background and Objectives

California energy policy places high priority on substantial updating of the Building Energy Efficiency Standards in the 2008 and subsequent update cycles.

The key elements of this energy policy are contained in the following:

• California's Energy Action Plan is developed jointly by the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission with active participation from other state agencies with energy-related responsibilities. The Energy Action Plan establishes energy efficiency as the resource of first choice for meeting California's energy needs (i.e., energy efficiency is at the "top of the loading order"). On September 21, 2005 the Commissions adopted Energy Action Plan II. Among other directives Energy Action Plan II directs the Energy Commission to adopt new building standards for implementation in 2008 that include in addition to new energy efficiency measures, cost effective demand response technologies (such as programmable communicating thermostats) and the integration of photovoltaic systems. The Energy Action Plan II can be viewed at www.energy.ca.gov/energy_action_plan/.
• The Integrated Energy Policy Report is the Energy Commission's biennial report to the Legislature that assesses California's major energy trends and issues and makes policy recommendations to conserve resources, protect the environment, ensure reliable, secure and diverse energy supplies, enhance the state's economy, and protect public health and safety. In September the Energy Commission released the Committee draft 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR). The 2005 IEPR concludes that California could face severe shortages of electricity in the next few years as the state's demand intensifies, and the high demand for natural gas is likely to continue to cause high prices for natural gas. The 2005 IEPR places top priority on energy efficiency to combat both electricity and natural gas problems. The IEPR finds that Standards are the most cost effective means to achieve energy efficiency, and expects the Building Energy Efficiency Standards to continue to be upgraded over time to reduce electricity and peak demand and recognizes the role of the Standards in reducing energy related to meeting California's water needs and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report is available at www.energy.ca.gov/2005_energypolicy/.
• In November 2004 California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined with the governors of Washington and Oregon to approve the West Coast Governors' Global Warming Initiative. The Initiative commits to a series of tri-state collaborative actions including adding aggressive energy efficiency measures into updates of state building codes, with a goal of achieving at least 15 percent additional savings by 2015 in each state. Information about the West Coast Governors' Global Warming Initiative can be found at www.climatechange.ca.gov/westcoast/.
• In December 2004 Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-20-04, the Green Building Initiative, which lays out a comprehensive set of actions for California to improve the energy efficiency of nonresidential buildings. The Energy Commission is directed to undertake all actions within its authority to increase the efficiency requirements in the Building Energy Efficiency Standards for nonresidential buildings by 20 percent by 2015. More information about the Green Building Initiative can be found at www.energy.ca.gov/greenbuilding.
• In June 2005 Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-3-05, the Climate Action Initiative, which establishes California as a world leader by setting greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. The ambitious goals are to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels by 2010, 1990 levels by 2020, and to reduce 1990 levels by 80 percent by 2050. Increased requirements in the Building Energy Efficiency Standards are identified as an explicit strategy in a portfolio of actions that will be necessary to meet these goals. More information about the Climate Action Initiative can be found at www.climatechange.ca.gov/.