California & Utilities Join Forces to Save Energy in State Buildings; State Leads by Example on Energy Conservation; Officials Urge Private Sector to Take Advantage of California Investor-Owned Utilities' Programs & Incentives.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- In the largest effort of its kind in California history, state officials and California's investor-owned utilities today announced plans to work together to significantly increase the level of energy efficiency in state-owned buildings.

Under the deal, the Department of General Services (DGS) will collaborate with Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Co. to implement nearly $17 million worth of energy-saving programs in state facilities. The energy programs -- administered by the utilities under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission -- will focus on dozens of the state's largest office buildings, several prisons and a number of smaller buildings such as Department of Motor Vehicles field offices.

At a ceremony held at the State Government Center Building in San Bernardino, State and Consumer Services Agency Secretary Rosario Marin signed the agreement today on behalf of the Green Action Team, the cabinet-level task force Governor Schwarzenegger created to implement sustainable building practices and energy-conservation efforts throughout California. Today's agreement is the latest in a series of actions the DGS has taken to increase energy efficiency in the buildings it owns or operates for the state of California.

"As our buildings age, energy systems don't work as efficiently as they could," explained Marin, Chair of the Green Action Team. "Retro-commissioning and retrofitting buildings such as the one where we are gathered today will ensure that energy systems are running at top efficiency. We'll not only save energy but tax dollars as well."

The State Government Center Building, located at 464 West 4th Street in downtown San Bernardino, is home to several state agencies, including the regional headquarters for Caltrans, and is considered an excellent candidate for increased energy savings through investor-owned utility energy efficiency programs. The San Bernardino building is one of approximately 1,000 state-owned facilities under review by the California Department of General Services and investor-owned utilities as candidates for energy-saving programs.

Governor Schwarzenegger's Green Building Initiative (Executive Order S-20-04) calls for public buildings to reduce energy consumption 20 percent by 2015 and encourages the private sector to do the same.

"There are many energy-saving programs administered by California's investor-owned utilities that the private sector can take advantage of," Marin said. "We encourage businesses to follow the state's lead in working with their investor-owned utility to access these programs. The environment wins and so will their bottom line."

"The investor-owned utilities welcome the opportunity to partner with the state of California to support the Green Building Initiative and to maximize long term energy savings potential for all state facilities," said Lynda Ziegler, Sr. Vice President, Customer Services, Southern California Edison.

The value of the energy program funding administered by the utilities is approximately $7.7 million for PG&E; $7.2 million for Edison, $1.2 million for SDG&E, and $630,000 for Southern California Gas Co.

In addition to the substantial monetary resources, the California investor-owned utilities will also provide the state with valuable technical resources to ensure that the energy projects deliver cost-effective energy savings according to guidelines established by the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission.

Legislation enacted in 1996 and again in 2000 authorized CPUC-regulated utilities to fund energy efficiency and conservation programs through a surcharge on utility bills.