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Building decarbonization efforts took another small step forward Wednesday when a bill that creates guidelines for builders and homeowners passed the Assembly Utilities & Energy Committee June 30.

SB 68 requires the California Energy Commission to create a roadmap for the electrification of both new and existing homes. The goal is educating contractors and funding research and development to lower costs of both home and vehicle electrification.

“This bill is about reducing barriers for people who are trying to help us meet our climate goals,” Sen. Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) said of his SB 68. He told the committee Wednesday that those seeking to lower their carbon footprint too often face high costs and long delays in getting permits for chargers and home electrification.

Source: Earthjustice and Sierra Club

A key challenge for builders and local building permit staff “is a lack of clear and easily accessible information about cost-effective electrification strategies, particularly on how to avoid costly electric panel upgrades, which are a major cost factor,” Pierre DelForge, NRDC senior scientist, said. He added that funding also is needed for innovative technology to better manage growing electric loads without increasing grid costs.

Energy use associated with buildings in California is responsible for one quarter of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the California Air Resources Board. Adding in embedded carbon it increases it to about 40%.

SB 68 faced no formal opposition and was approved 15-0.

Utilities directed to consider recruiting Conservation Corps workers

Also passed was SB 694 by Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) which requires the private utilities to consider hiring into their wildfire prevention ranks workers from the California Conservation Corps, including those formerly incarcerated.

Bradford, who has worked with the Conservation Corp, noted the severe shortage of wildfire prevention workers, saying his bill would “build a pipeline of skilled and needed workers.”

This measure also provides job equity, added Reed Addis, representing the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. He pointed out the local and state conservation organizations help young people get needed education and job skills.

SDG&E opposed the measure unless it’s changed to address “technical concerns.” That includes concerns about possible discriminatory gathering of criminal background information. However, the committee bill analysis concluded the measure “does not mandate these organizations or the IOUs collect criminal history information in discriminatory ways, and it seems reasonable that IOUs can comply with this provision without violating fair employment practices.”

SB 694 passed 13-0.

Also approved by the Utilities & Energy Committee was SB 423 by Sen. Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles). It sought to ensure the California Public Utilities Commission analyze how renewable and “firm zero” emission resources can supply the grid around the clock to create a much cleaner grid. But the bill was watered down this week to only require the CEC to look at the question of always-clean electricity. The CEC is to include in its evaluation how well geothermal, and offshore wind and long duration storage resources can help grid reliability.

Committee Chair Chris Holden (D-Los Angeles) said he did not object to the bill’s goal “spiritually” but objected to it affecting the CPUC’s Integrated Resource Planning process in the face of reliability challenges exacerbated by wildfires and intense heat.

V. John White, head of the Clean Power Campaign, noted geothermal, offshore wind and long-lasting energy storage are needed for grid diversity. Each resource should not have to provide all needed grid reliability attributes, he said, but in combination do just that.

SB 423 passed on a 13-0 vote.

Approved with no discussion was SB 99 by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa). It would create a grant and technical assistance program at the California Energy Commission to help local entities design and install clean microgrids in optimal locations.

Pulled from the committee agenda

Much to the dismay of community energy supporters, pulled from this week’s committee hearing was SB 612. It passed the Senate Floor June 1.

SB 612 seeks to allocate some of the benefits of utility legacy resources–not just the costs–to community access and other providers. The above-market costs of these utility legacy resources show up in the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment fee imposed by the California Public Utilities Commission on community energy, other providers, and ratepayers.

“With millions of Californians struggling to meet their monthly expenses it is more critical than ever that we put forth solutions to scale back ratepayer costs,” said Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada-Flintridge), the bill’s author.