BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 850
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Date of Hearing: April 25, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
AB 850 (Gordon) - As Amended: April 14, 2011
SUBJECT : State buildings: efficiency
SUMMARY : Revises existing energy efficiency planning
requirements for state facilities to give the California Energy
Commission (CEC) lead responsibility, instead of the Department
of General Services (DGS), and adds consideration of water
conservation.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires DGS, in consultation with the CEC, to develop a
multi-year plan, to be updated biennially, with the goal of
exploiting all practicable and cost-effective energy
efficiency measures in state facilities.
2)Authorizes the State Public Works Board to develop energy and
water conservation and design efficiency standards for state
buildings.
3)Requires all new state buildings, as well as existing
buildings when renovated or remodeled, to meet energy
efficiency standards adopted by the CEC, and requires DGS or
other responsible state agencies to consider additional energy
efficiency measures that are cost-effective and feasible.
4)Requires all new public buildings to be models of energy
efficiency - designed, constructed and equipped with all
energy efficiency measures, materials and devices that are
feasible and cost-effective.
5)Pursuant to Executive Order S-20-04, requires the state to
take specified actions, including: 1) committing to
aggressive action to reduce state building electricity usage
by 20 percent by 2015, through cost-effective efficiency
measures and distributed generation technologies; and, 2)
siting, constructing, and operating all new and renovated
state-owned facilities as Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Silver or higher certified
buildings.
AB 850
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THIS BILL :
1)Revises the multi-year plan required under existing law to
give CEC lead responsibility, in consultation with DGS.
2)Adds water conservation to the planning requirement.
3)Prohibits the plan from prohibiting, limiting or superseding
more stringent green building requirements for public
buildings.
4)Excludes from the plan buildings leased by the state, except
those financed through lease-revenue bonds.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
Since at least 1991, state law has required new and renovated
state buildings to meet prevailing energy efficiency standards
and to consider additional measures when cost-effective and
feasible. Over the same period, DGS has been required to
continually update an energy efficiency plan for state
facilities. However, because their capital budgets are
disconnected from their utility budgets, state agencies often
have lacked the incentive and the funds to fully exploit
cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities in building
design and materials.
According to DGS' most recent report, Recommendations and
Progress for Implementing Energy Efficiency Measures in State
Facilities, submitted to the Legislature December 3, 2010:
Construction of new green buildings is relatively
straightforward, with all green building measures included in
the appropriated project budgets. However, new buildings
represent a relatively small percentage of the potential to
capture significant benefits in terms of energy and
greenhouse gas reductions. Retro-commissioning or
retrofitting existing buildings account for the majority of
the opportunity.
Aside from the normal state budget process, there currently
is no special mechanism for funding the implementation of
AB 850
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energy efficiency measures in existing buildings, which are
achieved primarily through retro-commissioning and retrofit
projects.
This bill would reassign primary responsibility for preparing
these plans from DGS to CEC and require the plans to address
water conservation.
Double referral . This bill is double-referred to Business,
Professions and Consumer Protection Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
East Bay Municipal Utility District
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Lawrence Lingbloom / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092