Sacramento, California - The California Energy Commission approved several grants, contracts and loans that support projects that will help the state meet its energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
A $2.7 million grant was awarded to the City of Gardena's Gardena Municipal Bus Lines to conduct a battery-electric repower bus demonstration, and a $2.6 million grant was awarded to UC Riverside to demonstrate a community scale energy generation system at the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe Community Center in San Bernardino County. The generation system will reduce peak demand and provide uninterruptable power for the center when the grid is down.
San Luis Obispo County received a $2.2 million loan at 1 percent interest to retrofit lighting fixtures and to upgrade central plant chillers. The project will save about $182,000 annually in energy costs, and the loan will be paid back in about 12 years.
The Energy Commission also approved a $2 million contract with the San Diego Community College District to provide training in clean fuels, advanced vehicle technologies and to purchase specialized equipment.
Other actions
To ensure continued progress in renewable energy to replace fossil fuel and to help reach the initial target of 33 percent by 2020 and the target of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, the Energy Commission adopted modifications to its rules governing the Renewables Portfolio Standard for publicly owned utilities. The Energy Commission is charged with overseeing publically owned utilities and progress toward achieving the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals. The modifications fine tune the Energy Commission enforcement rules and make needed clarifying changes on eligible renewable energy.
Also adopted were proposed updates to the energy provision of the California Green (CalGreen) Building Standards. The proposed language introduces requirements for a voluntary zero net energy design building designation for single family and low-rise multifamily buildings. It also modifies lighting requirements to align with new mandatory requirements.
For details on all actions taken at this business meeting, view the October business meeting agenda.
