3. California Long-Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan

The Commission stated in the recently adopted Plan that the LIEE program must evolve into a resource program that garners significant energy savings in our state while providing an improved quality of life for California's low-income population. However, D.07-12-051 made clear that we would not require the SMJUs to take the same detailed steps we required of the large investor-owned utilities (IOUs) (Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, and Southern California Gas Company) in carrying out the Plan's goals. Rather, we stated the following:

This order does not require the applications of the smaller utilities to include all of the specific elements required of the larger utilities, although we encourage them to modify their programs and portfolios in ways that would accomplish the policy objectives and programmatic initiative we adopt here. The applications should describe how each program serves adopted policy objectives and present an estimate of the cost-effectiveness of each program element. (Emphasis added.)⁶

Thus, while we examine some of the issues relevant to the Plan in this decision, we recognize that the small size and geographic scope of the SMJUs may render impracticable many of the requirements we impose on the large IOUs in connection with their 2009-2011 applications.⁷ By the same token, we expect the SMJUs to make meaningful progress in the next three years toward meeting the key strategic vision set forth in the Plan:

By 2020, 100% of eligible and willing customers will have received all cost effective Low-income Energy Efficiency measures.⁸

To move the SMJUs toward this goal, we emphasize the following three issues in our LIEE discussion: (1) total program energy savings; (2) number of customers served; and (3) outreach to customers with the highest energy usage, energy burden, and energy insecurity, as defined below.

⁶ D.07-12-051, p. 74.

⁷ The large IOU applications are consolidated under A.08-05-022.

⁸ Plan, p. 25.