Utilizing $50 million in funding under Assembly Bill 970, a new energy load reduction program in California aims to shave off 161 megawatts of peak load by June 1, 2001. Overall electricity use reduction from the program is expected at more than 220 megawatts.
The project has six components:
- switching traffic lights to energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs);
- encouraging renewable electricity generation and demand reduction equipment;
- outfitting buildings with advanced meters and demand responsive software to automatically dim lights and raise or lower thermostats;
- changing roofs of buildings from dark to light colored materials;
- improving lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in state buildings and public universities; and
- improving wastewater treatment and agricultural energy with energy-efficient retrofits.
In addition, the California Energy Commission has provided a $2 million grant to Kmart Corp. to retrofit its lighting in eighty-five older stores, reducing energy consumption of sales-floor lighting fixtures by as much as 40 percent.
For more information about California’s efforts to reduce energy consumption, visit the state’s energy Web site.
