46 organizations submit initial letter supporting energy and water efficiency bill

On Wednesday, Environment California submitted a letter of support signed by 46 environmental, consumer, religious, and other community groups to Senator Josh Becker declaring support for Senate Bill 48 (SB 48), the Water and Energy Savings Act. This bill, co-sponsored by Environment California and the Institute for Market Transformation, would have California develop a strategy to leverage existing data to improve energy and water efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in large buildings, including the potential use of building performance standards. The support letter and signers are included below.

The organizations applauded Senator Becker’s leadership in addressing the state’s climate crisis and water crisis by improving energy and water efficiency in large commercial and residential buildings.

While California’s building codes drive efficiency in new buildings, the state lacks an approach for improving water and energy efficiency in existing buildings, which make up most of the state’s building stock. Older buildings are often much less efficient than newer buildings, so focusing on these buildings will help achieve the state’s climate targets, improve reliability of the electric grid, lower utility bills, and make the state more resilient to droughts.

SB 48 will next be heard by the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee on Tuesday, March 21 at 9:00am. Watch or participate in the committee meeting here.

Support Letter and Signers

Dear Senator Becker,

We applaud and support your leadership in tackling the state’s climate crisis and water crisis by improving energy and water efficiency in large residential and commercial buildings with Senate Bill 48 (SB 48), the Water and Energy Savings Act.

The state of California is experiencing more impacts of climate change like extreme weather, wildfires, and droughts. One of the smartest and lowest cost ways to cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions causing these impacts is to use less energy. The process of producing, transporting, and consuming energy causes climate pollution, especially when only a third of the state’s electricity sales come from renewable sources like wind, solar, and geothermal power. Additionally, California experienced its driest three-year stretch on record between 2020 and 2022, with more dry stretches like this expected in the future. Encouraging more water savings will be critical to ensuring a resilient water system in the future when the next major drought hits.

SB 48 would direct the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) to develop a strategy to leverage existing data to reduce energy and water use, including the potential use of building performance standards. Using existing benchmarking data to create energy and water saving strategies will help increase the efficiency of older buildings, which are often far less efficient than new buildings built with newer building codes. By saving more energy and water, SB 48 will help achieve the state’s climate targets, improve reliability of the electric grid, lower utility bills, and make the state more resilient to droughts.

Thank you for your leadership and for authoring this important legislation that will help California cut down on energy and water waste, setting the state on a brighter path towards achieving energy and water resilience. 

Sincerely,

Steven King, Environment California

Sakereh Carter, Sierra Club CA

Jennifer Gunby, U.S. Green Building Council

Jenn Engstrom, CALPIRG

Eric Brooks, Californians for Energy Choice

Eric Brooks, Our City SF

Michael Painter, Californians for Western Wilderness

Rebecca Elliot, Indivisible San Jose

Pauline Seales, Santa Cruz Climate Action Network

Ellie Cohen, The Climate Center

Eileen Mitro, Climate Action Mendocino

Michael Brown, Sustaining Way

Anita Fernandez Penny, Indivisible Alta Pasadena

Cheryl Auger, Ban SUP

Cynthia Kaufman, Pacifica Climate Committee

Andy Carman, Environteers.org

Marc Carrel, Breathe Southern California

Bill Allayaud, Environmental Working Group

Tera Landers, Throop Unitarian Universalist Church

Marian Sedio, North County Climate Change Alliance

Marilyn Price, Sustainable Mill Valley

Jennifer Tanner, Indivisible CA Green Team

Ruth Richardson, Rooted in Resistance (Indivisible)

Adriene Couter, Indivisible Ventura

Emily Brandt, San Joaquin Valley Democratic Club

David Diaz, MPH, Active San Gabriel Valley

Jessica Craven, Feminists in Action Los Angeles

Susan Morgan, Indivisible Marin

Debbie Mytels, Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action (PICA)

Ambrose Carroll, Green The Church

Jerry Meral, Natural Heritage Institute

Mikey Knab, Climate Action Campaign

Jose Torre-Bueno, Center for Community Energy

Linda Seeley, Biodiversity First!

Jim Lindburg, Friends Committee on Legislation of California

Will Brieger, 350 Sacramento

Jack Eidt, SoCal 350 Climate Action 

Leah Redwood, Extinction Rebellion San Francisco Bay Area

Jean Tepperman, Sunflower Alliance

Tom Benthin, Indivisible Sonoma County

Janet Cox, Climate Action California

Magi Amma, The Climate Alliance of Santa Cruz County

Jan Dietrick, 350 Ventura County Climate Hub

Suzanne Hume, CleanEarth4Kids.org

Rocky Fernandez, Center for Sustainable Energy

Maryam Dallawar, Sunrise Movement Orange County