California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2379

Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk

February 18, 2016

An act to amend Section 25942 of the Public Resources Code, relating to energy.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2379, as introduced, Quirk. Energy: home energy rating program: report.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prepare an integrated energy policy report every 2 years. Under existing law, the report is required to include an evaluation of the energy savings attributable to the program and a recommendation concerning which means and methods will be most efficient and cost-effective to induce home energy ratings for residential dwellings.

This bill would additionally require the report to include a comparison of actual energy savings and the models or projections used to qualify the rating program and would update an obsolete cross-reference.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 25942 of the Public Resources Code is
amended to read:

25942.  

(a) On or before July 1, 1995, the commission shall
establish criteria for adopting a statewide home energy rating
program for residential dwellings. The program criteria shall
include, but are not limited to, all of the following elements:

(1) Consistent, accurate, and uniform ratings based on a single
statewide rating scale.

(2) Reasonable estimates of potential utility bill savings, and
reliable recommendations on cost-effective measures to improve
energy efficiency.

(3) Training and certification procedures for home raters and
quality assurance procedures to promote accurate ratings and to
protect consumers.

(4) In coordination with home energy rating service organization
begin delete data bases, end delete begin insert databases, end insert procedures to establish a centralized,
publicly accessible, begin delete data base end delete begin insert database end insert that includes a uniform
reporting system for information on residential dwellings,
excluding proprietary information, needed to facilitate the program.
There shall be no public access to information in the begin delete data base end delete
begin insert database end insert concerning specific dwellings without the owner’s or
occupant’s permission.

(5) Labeling procedures that will meet the needs of home buyers,
homeowners, renters, the real estate industry, and mortgage lenders
with an interest in home energy ratings.

(b) The commission shall adopt the program pursuant to
subdivision (a) in consultation with representatives of the
Department of Real Estate, the Department of Housing and
Community Development, the Public Utilities Commission,
investor-owned and municipal utilities, cities and counties, real
estate licensees, home builders, mortgage lenders, home appraisers
and inspectors, home energy rating organizations, contractors who
provide home energy services, consumer groups, and
environmental groups.

(c) On and after January 1, 1996, no home energy rating services
may be performed in this state unless the services have been
certified, if such a certification program is available, by the
commission to be in compliance with the program criteria specified
in subdivision (a) and, in addition, are in conformity with any other
applicable element of the program.

(d) On or before July 1, 1996, the commission shall consult with
the agencies and organizations described in subdivision (b), to
facilitate a public information program to inform homeowners,
rental property owners, renters, sellers, and others of the existence
of the statewide home energy rating program adopted by the
commission.

(e)  begin delete Beginning with the 1998 biennial energy conservation report
required by Section 25401.1, the end delete begin insert The end insert commission shall, as part of
begin delete that biennial report, end delete begin insert the integrated energy policy report prepared
pursuant to Section 25302, end insert report on the progress made to
implement a statewide home energy rating program. The report
shall include an evaluation of the energy savings attributable to
the program, begin insert a comparison of actual energy savings and the models
or projections used to qualify the rating program, end insert and a
recommendation concerning which means and methods will be
most efficient and cost-effective to induce home energy ratings
for residential dwellings.