Model Policies

Public Resources Code Section 25402.1(h)2 and Section 10-106 of the Building Energy Efficiency Standards establish a process which allows local adoption of energy standards that are more energy efficient than the statewide Standards. This process allows local governments to adopt and enforce energy standards before the statewide Standards effective date, require additional energy conservation measures, and/or set stricter energy budgets. Local governments are required to apply to the Energy Commission for approval, documenting the supporting analysis for how the local government has determined that their proposed Standards will save more energy than the current statewide Standards and the basis of the local government's determination that the local standards are cost-effective. Once the Energy Commission staff has verified that the local standards will require buildings to use no more energy than the current statewide Standards and that the documentation requirements...