California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE

Media Contact: Terrie Prosper, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov Docket #: R.06-04-010

CPUC SETS SAVINGS GOALS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2008 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in its ongoing commitment to promoting energy efficiency, today set interim electricity and natural gas savings goals for 2012 through 2020 for the state's Investor Owned Utilities.

For 2012 through 2020, total energy savings are expected to reach over 4,500 megawatts, the equivalent of nine major power plants. Further, the CPUC expects savings of over 16,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity and 620 million therms of natural gas over that period.

"Energy efficiency is the state's preferred way to meet our growing energy needs, as outlined in our Energy Action Plan," said CPUC President Michael R. Peevey. "California has one of the most aggressive energy efficiency plans in the nation and today's decision improves those efforts to reflect a coordinated and comprehensive approach towards energy efficiency in order to maximize savings in the coming years."

"Today's decision modifies how we set energy savings goals and adopts a new approach known as a total market gross basis. The total market gross approach encompasses not just savings expected from utility programs, but also savings from other critical activities such as state building standards, federal appliance standards, our Big Bold Energy Efficiency Strategies, and from Assembly Bill 1109, the Huffman bill requiring improvement in general service lighting," said CPUC Commissioner Dian M. Grueneich. "This decision, alongside the roll out of the California long-term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan, will play a pivotal part in achieving unprecedented levels of energy savings and emission reductions in California."

Today's adopted targets will be updated in 2010 to ensure that the best available data is reflected in the CPUC's goals before the next round of energy efficiency portfolio planning.

The interim goals adopted today will be given to the California Air Resources Board for use in implementation of Assembly Bill 32, California's landmark climate change law, as the goals provide an aggressive foundational contribution to the statewide energy savings that are required under AB 32.

For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.

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