Local publicly owned electric and gas utilities: weatherization.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, while local publicly owned electric and gas utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law requires an electrical or gas corporation to perform home weatherization services for low-income customers if the commission determines that a significant need for those services exists in the corporation's service territory. Existing law defines weatherization for these purposes as including specified measures, requires the commission to direct any electrical or gas corporation to provide as many of the specified measures as are feasible for each eligible low-income dwelling unit, and provides that weatherization may also include other building conservation measures, energy management technology, as defined, energy-efficient appliances, and energy education programs determined by the commission to be feasible, in consideration of both the cost-effectiveness of the services and the public policy of reducing financial hardships facing low-income households. This bill would require the commission to direct an electrical or gas corporation to provide as many of the specified measures as are feasible and cost effective for each eligible low-income dwelling unit, and provides that weatherization may also include water conservation measures that result in energy savings determined by the utility to be feasible, in consideration of both the cost-effectiveness of the services and the public policy of reducing financial hardships facing low-income households. Existing law requires every local publicly owned electric and gas utility that provides the energy for space heating for low-income customers to also provide home weatherization services for those customers if a significant need for those services exists in the utility's service territory, in consideration of both the cost-effectiveness of the services and the public policy of reducing financial hardships facing low-income households. Existing law defines weatherization for these purposes as including specified measures, and provides that weatherization may also include other building conservation measures, energy-efficient appliances, and energy education programs determined by the utility to be feasible, in consideration of both the cost-effectiveness of the services and the public policy of reducing financial hardships facing low-income households. This bill would provide that weatherization may also include energy management technology and water conservation measures that result in energy savings determined by the utility to be feasible, in consideration of both the cost-effectiveness of the services and the public policy of reducing financial hardships facing low-income households.