New to local government energy efficiency, and looking for some information to get started? See information in the four main categories below – or, check out some of the new, highlighted resources.
Why Energy Efficiency?
Motivating factors, data, and case studies
Policies Driving Energy Efficiency:
Local government leaders across California are motivated to further energy efficiency (EE) goals for a number of different reasons:
See even more reasons – including resiliency, job creation, local economic development, and operational benefits (comfort, savings) in this SEEC presentation on Why Energy Efficiency.
EE improvements may be integrated into existing capital planning – EE improvements may also paired with clean energy installs or a campaign to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by implementing an employee carpool program.
If you’re looking for data on the most cost-effective project to start with, it may be a good idea to benchmark your buildings first and learn what buildings are using what amounts of energy. For more information on benchmarking, visit the Benchmarking Resources page. Looking for benefits of benchmarking? Check out this post.
Some local governments may prefer to start leading by example by implementing a program to encourage energy-efficient employee behavior (e.g., encouraging turning off the lights, using energy efficient computer setting, or low hot water usage). For best practices in implementing successful behavioral programs, see this post.
All of these types of activities are actions promoted under the CPUC’s California Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan.
For numerous examples of what actions local governments are taking, check out Local Government on the EE Strategic Plan.
Visit the Funding Opportunities tab to review funding resources, or click on the funding or financing links to review posts on funding or financing.
Energy efficiency in California is a hot topic, and constantly evolving. Some things local governments may want to keep track of include: