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California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board (CARB), the primary agency tasked in the implementation of AB 32, California’s landmark law to limit the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, considered the adoption of regulations for a California greenhouse gas emissions trading program (a cap-and-trade program). The Efficiency Council submitted the below letters, generally in support of the proposed emissions trading program regulation to act in concert with other energy efficiency policies.

• October 19, 2011 - Support for Adoption of Proposed Regulation: California Cap on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Market-Based Compliance Mechanisms
• December 16, 2010 -   Support for Adoption of a Proposed California Cap on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Market-Based Compliance Mechanisms Regulation, Including Compliance Offset Protocols

California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority
The California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) is developing the Clean Energy Upgrade Program as required by ABx1 14 (Skinner, 2011), which provides up to $50 million to CAEATFA to establish the program.   The Clean Energy Upgrade Program is intended to address financing barriers by providing financing options for accelerating clean energy and energy efficiency in the State.  Currently, CAEATFA is planning to establish a loan loss reserve program that facilitates loans provided by commercial financial institutions.

• September 12, 2011 - Comments on ABX 1 14 Implementation: Clean Energy Upgrade Program and Draft Initial Program Framework: Loan Loss Reserve Program

Federal Legislation
The Efficiency Council weighs in from time to time when Congress acts on legislation important to California’s energy efficiency industry.

Property Assessed Clean Energy
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) stopped Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs in their tracks in July 2010 when it determined that energy retrofit lending programs present significant safety and soundness concerns. Legislation was considered to overturn the FHFA guidance and guarantee local governments the right to help home and building owners finance energy efficiency, and renewable energy, improvements by establishing PACE programs.

• August 4, 2010 – S.3642  (Boxer) and H.R.5766 (Thompson) – SUPPORT

Sign-on Support Letters
From time to time, the Efficiency Council joins partner and allied organizations in support of or opposition to federal legislation relevant to energy efficiency.  The Efficiency Council has commented on the following topics:

• Home Star and Building Star - SUPPORT
• Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency Grants- SUPPORT
• The BULB Act to Repeal Energy Efficiency Standards for Light Bulbs – OPPOSE
• Modifications to the Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction (Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code)