SB-647

Existing law grants the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) authority over public utilities and their low-income energy efficiency programs, aiming to prioritize accessibility and service quality. This bill would expand that focus, requiring evaluations of program effectiveness to include factors like health improvements, equitable access, and measurable cost reductions. It would also shift eligibility from low-income to low-to-moderate income customers, require programs to prioritize advanced upgrades like heat pumps and deep weatherization, and emphasize improving health and safety outcomes. The bill would expand the Low-Income Oversight Board to cover low-to-moderate income issues, adding members from the Energy Commission and Air Resources Board. It would also require better integration between the Energy Savings Assistance Program and the Equitable Building Decarbonization Program to streamline access and administration, appoint qualified program administrators, and prioritize utility cost reductions for eligible households.