Energy: appliance standards and cost-effective measures.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, standards for minimum levels of operating efficiency, and authorizes the commission to prescribe other cost-effective measures, to promote the use of energy- and water-efficient appliances whose use requires a significant amount of energy or water. Existing law requires that those standards become effective no sooner than one year after their date of adoption or revision and requires that they not result in any added total costs for consumers over the designed life of the impacted appliances. Existing law prohibits the sale, and the offering for sale, of a new appliance unless its manufacturer certifies that it complies with the standards in effect at the time the appliance is manufactured. This bill would authorize the commission, upon considering specified factors and making a finding of good cause, to make the standards effective sooner than one year after their date of adoption or revision, as specified. The bill would require that those other cost-effective measures prescribed by the commission also not result in any added total costs for consumers over the designed life of the impacted appliances. The bill would prohibit the sale, and the offering for sale, of a new appliance unless its manufacturer certifies that it complies with those other cost-effective measures, in addition to the standards, in effect at the time the appliance is manufactured. The bill would define "sold or offered for sale in the state" as a sale of or offer to sell an appliance for end use in the state, regardless of the seller's physical location, including, without limitation, internet, telephone, and mail order transactions. The bill would also include a statement of legislative findings and declarations.