Energy: design and construction standards.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, building design and construction standards and energy and water conservation design standards for new residential and nonresidential buildings. This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to identify and implement methods to simplify processes and procedures related to compliance with the above described standards. Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. The Public Utilities Act requires the Public Utilities Commission to review and accept, modify, or reject a procurement plan for each electrical corporation. The act requires that an electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan include certain elements, including a showing that the electrical corporation will first meet its unmet needs through all available energy efficiency and demand reduction resources that are cost effective, reliable, and feasible. Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to identify all potentially achievable cost-effective electricity efficiency savings and to establish efficiency targets for electrical corporations to achieve pursuant to their procurement plan. The Public Utilities Act additionally requires the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to identify all potentially achievable cost-effective natural gas efficiency savings and to establish efficiency targets for gas corporations to achieve and requires that a gas corporation first meet its unmet resource needs through all available gas efficiency and demand reduction resources that are cost effective, reliable, and feasible. Pursuant to its existing authority, the Public Utilities Commission has approved energy efficiency programs for electrical corporations and gas corporations, with 3rd parties administering a portion of those programs. This bill would require the Public Utilities Commission, in an existing proceeding, by January 1, 2016, to authorize a program to improve compliance with the State Building Standards Code requirements, and any applicable local ordinances, for heating and air conditioning equipment through existing energy efficiency programs administered by electrical corporations and gas corporations, or administered by 3rd parties on behalf of electrical corporations and gas corporations. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the Public Utilities Commission is a crime. Because certain of the provisions of this bill are within the act and require action by the Public Utilities Commission to implement, a violation of the program provisions adopted by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to the bill's requirements would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the current definition of a crime. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.