Committee corrects EnergyWatch text and advances $13.1 million CPUC-funded energy-efficiency contract

The Budget and Finance Committee moved forward an amendment and recommended approval of a $13.1 million EnergyWatch contract administered by the Department of the Environment and funded through the California Public Utilities Commission via PG&E.

Guillermo Rodriguez presented the fourth EnergyWatch contract cycle (January 2013–December 2014), noting the program supports building-benchmark initiatives, energy audits, technical assistance to small businesses and multifamily owners, multilingual grassroots outreach and refrigeration replacement in neighborhood restaurants and convenience stores. Rodriguez asked to correct a typographical error in the ordinance text changing staffing from five FTEs to three FTEs; the committee adopted the correction.

Anne Kelly, who manages the program, told supervisors EnergyWatch has generally returned a strong ratio of participant benefits to administrative costs. The budget analyst explained the $13.1 million includes about $6 million for direct incentives to participants, with the remainder covering personnel, technical assistance, marketing and indirect costs. Kelly said the program’s added $1.4 million for innovative pilot projects cannot be claimed toward PG&E savings goals but supports technical services that improve uptake.

Supervisors asked for more granular maps and participation rates by business corridor; the department committed to provide targeted maps and participation figures before the Board hearing.

The committee approved the amended item and sent it to the full Board of Supervisors with recommendation.