October 6, 2008—The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently adopted California’s first Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan, a roadmap to achieve maximum energy savings across all major groups and sectors in California. This comprehensive plan for 2009 to 2020 is the state’s first integrated framework of goals and strategies for saving energy, covering government, utility, and private sector actions, and emphasizing energy efficiency as the highest priority resource to meet California’s energy needs, says the state government.
California’s plan was developed by a consensus, stakeholder-driven process including over 500 individuals and organizations across the state and nation. The plan emphasizes four “Big Bold” strategies as cornerstones for significant energy savings:
- All new residential construction in California will be zero net energy by 2020
- All new commercial construction in California will be zero net energy by 2030
- The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry will be reshaped to ensure optimal equipment performance
- All eligible low-income homes will be energy efficient by 2020
California’s Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan can be found on the California Energy Efficiency Web site.
