BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1094
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 27, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Das Williams, Chair
AB 1094
(Williams) - As Amended April 6, 2015
SUBJECT: Energy usage: plug-in equipment
SUMMARY: Requires the California Energy Commission (CEC), in
consultation with the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC), to conduct an analysis of plug-in equipment energy
consumption and develop an implementation plan to achieve
specified energy efficiency targets.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires CEC to continuously carry out studies, technical
assessments, research projects, and data collection directed
to reducing wasteful, inefficient, unnecessary, or uneconomic
uses of energy, including improved appliance efficiency.
2)Requires CEC to adopt cost-effective energy and water
efficiency standards for appliances.
3)Requires CEC to adopt energy efficiency standards for battery
chargers. Standards for consumer chargers went into effect on
February 1, 2013, and standards for industrial chargers went
into effect on January 1, 2014.
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4)Prohibits the sale of products that do not meet efficiency
standards adopted by CEC.
5)Authorizes CEC to issue an administrative enforcement process
for violations of its appliance efficiency standards,
including administrative civil penalties up to $2,500 for each
violation, in compliance with existing law governing
administrative hearings and adjudication.
THIS BILL:
1)Requires CEC, in collaboration with CPUC, to:
a) Conduct an analysis of plug-in equipment electricity
consumption and trends, drawing on existing data where
appropriate. Requires that the analysis be focused on the
top 80% of plug-in equipment electricity consumption;
b) On or before January 21, 2018, set statewide reduction
targets for greenhouse gasses (GHGs) emitted through
production of electricity consumed by plug-in equipment;
c) Develop, revise, and update an implementation plan to
achieve the statewide targets; and,
d) Track and report on the progress of the implementation
plan to achieve the statewide targets.
2)Requires CPUC, in collaboration with CEC, to work with
stakeholders to address challenges to the achievement of the
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statewide targets.
3)Defines "plug-in equipment" as an electrical device that plugs
into a power outlet, including, but not limited to, household
appliances, electronic products, miscellaneous electrical
loads, portable and other plug-in HVAC equipment, and
commercial plug-in appliances. Specifies that "plug-in
equipment" does not include non-plug-in HVAC equipment,
lighting, infrastructure loads wired directly to the building
electrical system, wired smoke or carbon monoxide detectors,
lighting switches, and electric vehicles.
4)States related legislative findings and intent.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS:
1)This bill. According to the author:
Plug-in equipment is responsible for nearly 60% of
residential and 16% of commercial electricity consumption
in California. Across both sectors, plug-in equipment
consumes the equivalent annual output of 23 500-megawatt
power plants. This is projected to increase to 27 power
plants by 2030.
The CEC and CPUC have an array of existing programs,
including research and development, appliance standards,
and efficiency programs, aimed at increasing energy
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efficiency statewide. There is the potential to scale up
these efforts to capture a larger share of cost-effective
energy savings in plug-in equipment. Quantified goals will
drive state agencies to perform target-driven planning,
working with stakeholders to utilize the most effective
strategies available to transform the plug-in equipment
market at the pace and scale required to meet California's
energy and climate goals.
2)CEC appliance standard regulations. CEC began adopting
appliance regulations at its inception in 1977. As new
product designs, new information about products, and new
information about energy usage become available, CEC
periodically proposes new regulations and updates existing
regulations. Current law requires CEC to research,
investigate, assess, and identify appliances and other
products that should be subject to appliance efficiency
standards. CEC is preempted from adopting energy efficiency
regulations on products that are already regulated for their
energy usage by the federal government.
Current CEC regulations include 23 categories of appliances,
including: air conditioners, heaters, and fans; battery
chargers; clothes washers and dryers; cooking products and
food service equipment; dishwashers; distribution
transformers; electric motors; lighting products; plumbing
fittings and fixtures; pool and spa equipment; external power
supplies; refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers;
televisions, consumer audio and video equipment; and, water
heaters. These existing regulations include plug-in
equipment, including power tools, lights, electronics,
cordless phones, and other plug-in devices.
CEC has developed draft regulations for the following
appliances:
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a) Faucets, toilets, and urinals, April 2014;
b) Air filters and dimming ballasts, April 2014;
c) Light emitting diode (LED) lamps and multifaceted
reflector (MR) lamps, May 2014;
d) Pool pump motors and portable electric spas, August
2014;
e) Computers, monitors, and displays, November 2014;
f) Network equipment, February 2015;
g) Game consoles, February 2015; and,
h) Commercial clothes dryers, February 2015.
3 Energy efficiency opportunities. This bill is intended to
expand CEC's existing efforts to improve energy efficiency in
plug-in appliances. Additional energy savings is achievable
by a number of means, including developing standards for other
types of plug-in equipment, requiring devices to go into very
low power modes when not in use, improved efficiency in large
appliances, and expanding the application of ultra-low power
technology currently used in mobile electronics to more types
of products.
The 2013 California Energy Efficiency and Goals Study, prepared
for CPUC, found that:
Lighting, whole-building, and appliance plugs have the
largest energy savings potential. There are many new
appliance plug measures that are coming into the market and
modeled in this study. The results show that these new
appliance plug measures have a significant impact on energy
savings potential and make up nearly a quarter of the
potential savings in 2020.
4 Previous legislation.
a) AB 2529 (Williams, 2014) would have required CEC and PUC
to perform a study of energy usage by plug-in equipment and
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develop an implementation plan to achieve specified
reductions in energy consumption by plug-in equipment by
2030. This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations
Committee.
b) AB 454 (Pavley), Chapter 591, Statutes of 2011
authorized CEC to adopt an administrative enforcement
process, including civil penalties, for violations of its
appliance efficiency standards. Requires utility energy
efficiency rebates to be provided only if work complies
with applicable permitting and contractor licensing
requirements.
c) SB 332 (Corbett, 2007) would have required CEC to
develop a priority list of appliances for review by the
commission for test procedures and efficiency standards,
and to develop testing procedures for televisions and
computer monitors in the active mode. This bill was held
in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
d) AB 2021 (Levine), Chapter 734, Statutes of 2006 requires
all electric and natural gas utilities to meet energy
efficiency savings targets established by CEC and CPUC.
5)Double Referral. This bill has been double referred to the
Utilities and Commerce Committee, which passed with a vote of
11 to 3. That committee passed the bill with the agreement
that amendments would be adopted in this committee. The
amendments strike the requirement for CEC to set GHG standards
for plug in equipment.
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
California Energy Efficiency Industry Council
California Building Industry Associuation
California Business Properties
California Retailers Association
California League of Conservation Voters
Coalition for Clean Air
Communities for a Better Environment
Environment California
Environmental Defense Fund
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Environmental Entrepreneurs
Global Green
Natural Resources Defense Council (Sponsor)
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
San Diego Gas & Electric Company
Sierra Club
Southern California Edison
US Green Building Council
Union of Concerned Scientists
Opposition
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California Manufacturers & Technology Association
Consumer Electronics Association
Independent Energy Producers Association
Analysis Prepared by:Elizabeth MacMillan / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092