BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 35
AUTHOR: Pavley
AMENDED: April 23, 2013
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: May 1, 2013
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Kathleen Chavira
SUBJECT : Higher education energy conservation.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the California State University Board of
Trustees and the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges, and requests the University of
California Regents to each establish a special subcommittee
to develop and administer a Systemwide Energy Solutions
Action Plan to provide near and long term strategy
concerning energy savings projects, as specified.
BACKGROUND
Current law establishes the Statewide Energy Plan for the
Community Colleges which, among other things, requires the
California Community Colleges (CCC) to encourage the
construction of community college sustainable green
buildings that implement energy efficiency, sustainable
building concepts, and solar, electric, fuel cell, and
other technologies. In addition, the Chancellor of the CCC
is required to establish, and determine the membership of,
an advisory committee for the Statewide Energy Plan. This
committee, with assistance from the State Energy Resources
and Conservation Commission, is charged with making
recommendations to the Chancellor regarding overall program
develoment, resource development and deployment, and
strategies for implementation and coordination of the
program. (Education Code § 81620-81624)
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Requires the California State University Board of
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trustees and the CCC Board of Governors to each
establish a special subcommittee to develop and
administer a Systemwide Energy Solutions Action Plan
to provide near and long term strategy concerning
energy savings projects, as defined.
2) Outlines the composition of the special subcommittee
to include experts in specified areas and at least one
student member.
3) Requires, in developing their plans, that the
California State University (CSU) and the California
Community Colleges (CCC) consider energy savings plans
and projects, as described, consulting with electric
and gas corporations, and publicly owned utilities,
opportunities to further purposes of the California
Global Warming Solutions Act, to establish
public-private partnerships, and to promote student
involvement, job training and workforce development
related to energy savings projects.
4) Requests the University of California (UC) to comply
with these provisions.
5) Establishes the Higher Education Energy Solutions
Fund, and provides that moneys in the fund be used by
the Regents and Trustees to implement the provisions
of the bill.
6) Requires, if funding is received from the Higher
Education Energy Solutions Fund, the UC, CSU and CCC
to submit a report before January 1, 2014, and before
January 1 each year thereafter describing the
disposition of funds received in the prior year and
planned expenditures in the upcoming year.
7) Defines "energy savings project" for the purposes of
the bill.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Is this bill necessary ? Executive Order S-20-04,
issued by the Governor in July 2004, directs state
agencies to implement a variety of actions to reduce
electricity usage in state buildings 20 percent by
2015 through cost-effective efficiency measures and
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distributed generation technologies. The Executive
Order specifically requests entities of state
government not under the Governor's direct executive
authority, including the UC, CSU, CCC, constitutional
officers, legislative and judicial branches, and the
California Public Utilities Commission, to actively
participate in this effort.
The CSU capital outlay plan incorporates life safety,
ADA, then energy efficiency priorities according to
regulation and joint statewide energy action plan. UC
has a Strategic Energy Plan and reports that the
University followed a process very close to that
outlined in the bill and considered most of the same
elements in the bill in developing that plan. In
addition, the UC, CSU and Investor-Owned Utility (IOU)
Energy Efficiency Partnership, a statewide energy
efficiency program, has existed since 2004. The CCC
Board of Governors have adopted an Energy and
Sustainability policy and has had a committee such as
that suggested by this bill for 7 years through their
CCC/IOU Energy Efficiency Partnership, and in
addition, has developed a sustainability tool that
includes energy efficiency for all districts.
It appears that all three segments have already
undertaken activities similar to those called for in
the bill. It is unclear what new benefit is derived
from requiring them to engage in these activities yet
again.
2) Double referral. This bill was previously heard by
the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications
Committee where it passed by a vote of 8-2. Among the
other things the committee analysis noted that the
subcommittee process required in this bill may be
duplicative of existing processes, and it was unclear
whether the segments energy planning would be improved
by the bill.
SUPPORT
None received on this version.
OPPOSITION
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None received.