STATE OF CALIFORNIA  THE RESOURCES AGENCY GRAY DAVIS, Governor

STATE OF CALIFORNIA ENERGY RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

NOTICE OF WORKSHOP AB 970 APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY REGULATIONS NEW STANDARDS FOR 2001

The California Energy Commission staff will conduct a public workshop to present staffs views and obtain public comment on possible revisions to the Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations. The public is cordially invited to participate in discussions at the workshop on:

Thursday, October 19, 2000 10 a.m. California Energy Commission Hearing Room B 1516 Ninth Street Sacramento (Wheelchair Accessible)

Background

Increasing electricity peak demand has strained the adequacy of Californias electricity system. During the summer of 2000, California utilities experienced high prices for electricity on the wholesale market and supply problems that caused electricity outages in the San Francisco Bay area. In the San Diego area, electricity customers rates were no longer capped by the post-restructuring rate freeze. As a result, San Diego ratepayers were confronted with much higher electricity bills than in previous years.

Assembly Bill (AB) 970, signed into law on September 6, 2000, was enacted to respond to these conditions. The purpose of the law is to provide a balanced response to the electricity problems facing the state through addressing power plant siting, renewable and distributed generation issues, and reducing peak period electricity demand. Among other things, this bill provides the following direction to the Energy Commission:

Public Resources Code 25553. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on or before 120 days after the effective date of this section or on the earliest feasible date thereafter, the commission shall

(b) Adopt and implement updated and cost-effective standards pursuant to Section 25402 to ensure the maximum feasible reductions in wasteful, uneconomic, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of electricity.

The Commission intends to conduct an expedited rulemaking process to consider amendments and additions to the current appliance regulations to respond to AB 970. To do so requires that the proceeding be focused on measures that can quickly be analyzed and justified and which have clear impacts on peak energy.

Workshop Topics

The purpose of this workshop is to obtain public comment on possible revisions to the appliance regulations that would help accomplish the directives of AB 970. The public is strongly encouraged to focus on measures for which cost data, environmental impacts, and methods for calculating energy savings are already well documented.

Staff has identified the following appliance types as candidates for possible improvements or additions to the current regulations:

 Distribution transformers  Coin-operated clothes washers  Beverage vending machines  Heat pump pool heaters  Portable lighting fixtures  Commercial reach-in refrigerators and freezers (up to 39 cubic feet)  Exit signs  Plumbing fittings  Continuously burning pilot lights  Dimming ballasts  Exterior or outdoor luminaires  Ballasts for T5 and T8 fluorescent lamps  Gas-fired infrared radiant heaters  Combination space/water heating appliances  Electricity standby losses  LED traffic signals  Commercial air conditioners  Computer room air conditioners  Residential water heaters  Residential central air conditioners and related 3-phase commercial models  Computer equipment

Staff welcomes comments on the above appliance candidates and additional ideas for appliances for which cost data, environmental impacts, and energy savings are already well documented.

The AB 970 proceeding will supercede and incorporate changes anticipated in the previously noticed proceeding to adopt appliance regulations (Docket 98-A&B-1). Information and comments from that proceeding will be included for consideration of possible changes for the AB 970 appliance regulations proceeding. These topics were:

1. Change the scope of the regulations to accurately reflect federal law 2. Update references to test methods, federal statutes and regulations and appropriate documents 3. Modify certification procedures 4. Improve enforcement 5. Streamline information submittal and directory publication 6. Adopt federal standards in order to provide a back-up in case of elimination or non-enforcement of federal standards 7. Change appliance and building standards to ensure consistency and comprehensive coverage 8. Publish an appliance manual 9. Other changes to improve clarity and reduce unnecessary burdens

Public Participation

The Commission encourages full and free public participation. Petitions to intervene are not necessary. The Committee may limit oral comments to summaries of previously submitted written comments to the extent allowed by law, and may allow electronic filing. The Energy Commission will make drafts of the regulations and other information obtained in this proceeding available in electronic format on the Commissions Web Site. Anyone who requires paper copies of the regulations can call the staff at 916-654-4064 to request them. All written comments shall be addressed to:

Docket No. 00-AB970-Standards California Energy Commission 1516 Ninth Street, MS 4 Sacramento, CA 95814-5512

Questions

For information on participation in Commission proceedings, please contact the Public Adviser Roberta Mendonca at (916) 654-4489 or toll free (800) 822-6228, or by e-mail at . If you require special accommodation, please contact Robert Sifuentes at (916) 654-5004 at least five days prior to the workshop. If you have questions about this project, please contact Valerie Hall by telephone at (916) 654-4064 or by e-mail at . News media inquiries should be directed to Assistant Executive Director Claudia Chandler at (916) 654-4989 or by e-mail at .

. ROBERT PERNELL ARTHUR H. ROSENFELD, Ph.D. Commissioner and Presiding Member Commissioner and Associate Member Efficiency Committee Efficiency Committee

Mailed to List: 51, 441-453 October 5, 2000

The hearing will be held at the Energy Commission building, located at 1516 Ninth Street (corner of Ninth and P Streets).

Directions from Local Freeways

From Interstate 80, Davis and San Francisco, heading East: Take the exit in West Sacramento marked Downtown. Continue through West Sacramento, down to Capitol Mall. Turn right on Ninth Street and go three blocks.

From Interstate 5, Woodland and Sacramento Airport, heading South: Take the J Street off-ramp on Interstate 5. Go about eight blocks east on J Street, and turn right on Ninth Street. The Commission is on Ninth Street between O and P Streets.

Additional directions available at:

Parking

There are two public parking garages nearby, one located on Tenth Street between O and P Streets (entrance on Tenth) and another located at Tenth and L Streets (entrance also on Tenth). These parking garages do on occasion completely fill. Should that happen, there is parking available at meters on surrounding streets for 25 cents for 20 minutes, with a two hour maximum. Be aware that the two-hour limit is strictly enforced, and you must move to another spot at the end of two hours. Putting more money in a meter without relocating your car will not prevent you from getting a ticket. There are also a limited number of 10-hour meters located along various side streets.

-- Mahri Lowinger (mlowinger@ceeformt.org), October 11, 2000