BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1850
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1850 (Charles Calderon)
As Amended May 1, 2012
Majority vote
NATURAL RESOURCES 6-1 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Chesbro, Knight, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Dickinson, Grove, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Halderman, Skinner | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, |
|Nays:|Huffman | |Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| | | |Solorio, Wagner |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Makes changes to the requirements relating to the
adoption of energy efficiency standards for appliances by the
California Energy Commission (CEC). Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires CEC to "rely on the most current data available, and
wherever feasible, rely on data no older than one year prior
to the commencement of the formal rulemaking."
2)Authorizes CEC to increase or decrease the minimum level of
operating efficiency required by a standard if it finds that
the standard is no longer needed.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires CEC to adopt regulations describing the standards for
minimum levels of energy efficiency for appliances using a
significant amount of energy.
2)Establishes that CEC require the use of product labeling, not
preempted by federal law, in order to promote the use of
energy efficient appliances so long as it does not result in
added cost for consumers.
3)Authorizes CEC to adopt an administrative enforcement process,
including civil penalties, for violations of its appliance
efficiency standards.
AB 1850
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FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this bill has negligible costs to CEC.
COMMENTS : The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources
Conservation Act establishes that CEC adopt regulations
describing the standards for minimum levels of efficiency for
appliances that use a significant amount of energy or water.
These regulations include standards for both federally regulated
appliances and non-federally regulated residential and
commercial appliances including water heaters, clothes washers,
dishwashers, traffic signals, lighting, and heat and air
conditioning systems to be sold in California. Regulations
adopted by CEC in this manner aim to achieve significant energy
savings statewide that are feasible, attainable, and do not
result in added costs to the consumer for the estimated lifetime
of the regulated appliance.
Beginning January 1 of this year, CEC was granted authority to
establish administrative civil penalties for violations of
appliance efficiency standards. SB 454 (Pavley) Chapter 591,
Statutes of 2011 authorized CEC to establish an administrative
enforcement process. A 2009 survey of appliance efficiency
standards compliance conducted by the Heschong Mahone Group for
CEC found that approximately half of the appliances sold in
California have not been properly certified as meeting the
standards.
According to the author, "AB 1850 seeks to improve the
regulatory framework supporting energy efficiency with respect
to CEC and its focus on energy efficiency through appliance
efficiency standards. CEC's authority regarding appliance
efficiency standards has not changed significantly in more than
30 years, but the energy-using product and equipment landscape
certainly has."
Analysis Prepared by : Elizabeth MacMillan / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092
FN: 0003703
AB 1850
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