TELL CPUC: REJECT PROFITS ON UTILITIES’ FAILED ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS!
In its final meeting before Gov. Jerry Brown takes office and appoints two new Commissioners, the California Public Utilities Commission will vote whether to give utilities up to $77 million more “rewards” for energy efficiency programs that scored an “F” on their first-ever independent evaluations. The Commission will also vote on whether to extend the “risk/reward” system, but with the “risk” of penalties removed.
Please come if you can and tell Commissioners what you think, and/or send them a letter. (See sample letter that you can revise and send automatically.) CPUC meets Thurs., Dec. 16, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco — public comment begins promptly at 9 am. AGENDA ITEM REFERENCEE: # 52 AND 57.
WEM recommends penalties and refunds for utilities’ failed 2006-08 energy efficiency programs. The Commission allowed utilities to collect $143 million EE profits on these programs in 2008 and 2009, before evaluations were completed.
The first-ever fully independent evaluation of the big investor-owned-utilities’ EE programs shows that PG&E, Edison and SDG&E fell so far short of their targets in 2006-08 that they deserve penalties. PG&E’s programs were the worst. According to the CPUC's Department of Ratepayer Advocates, current program rules would require PG&E shareholders to pay a penalty of more than $77 million dollars.
WEM opposes extending the so-called “risk/reward” system for utilities in the future (minus the supposed “risk”). Instead, we recommend cancelling utilities’ monopoly over energy efficiency and establish an independent EE system where local governments, non-profits and small businesses can do much more effective work.
WEM also recommends that CPUC reject a staff proposal to give credit to utilities for energy efficiency work performed by local governments that is funded with the federal stimulus as well as ratepayer dollars. Local governments should get the credit — and utilities should never ever get profits on federal stimulus money!
We need to big improvements in energy efficiency — to provide jobs, stimulate the economy, and reduce global warming. Isn’t it time to set energy efficiency free from utility monopolies? They have such an obvious conflict of interest, and giving them profits on these programs just makes it worse.