UPDATE - BOMA San Francisco's Energy and Environment Committee

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The following information was discussed at a recent meeting of BOMA San Francisco's Energy & Environment Committee:

Resources

• PG&E has provided a summary of proposed electric rate changes for 2012.  Click here for the details.
• For PG&E's natural gas rate information click here.
• The CPUC recently allowed PG&E to lift the suspension and resume gas energy efficiency incentives and rebates. Effective immediately, PG&E will begin processing the following incentive and rebate payments that were previously suspended, according to the terms of the respective applications and agreements and subject to the availability of funds:
• Customized (calculated) incentives for all gas projects; and  
• Gas energy-efficiency rebates (also known as deemed or mass market rebates)
• Gas energy-efficiency incentives and rebates funded under PG&E's Energy

Events

• CCSF Benchmarking Webinar: “The Path to Energy Savings & The Existing Commercial Building Performance Ordinance.” October 21st, 2011, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM . To register, click here.
• The 3rd Annual Commercial Interiors Contracts Award Event will be held on 10/26 at 5:30 pm at the Julia Morgan Ballroom. General Contractors compete to see whose building projects win, announced at the annual award event. There are a number of BOMA member GC’s that submitted projects. click here for more information and tickets.
• PG&E Workshop: "Benchmarking Energy Use for Commercial Buildings" at the Pacific Energy Center, 851 Howard St. in San Francisco, on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Additionally, there is a "What's Next After Benchmarking" class immediately following at 1:00pm. Lunch will be served for those who stay for the afternoon session. To register, click here: 
• Silicon Valley USGBC Workshop 12/7/11: Greening Existing Buildings: Energy Retrofit Strategies (4.5 GBCI CE Hours).  

Legislative Updates

Click the links below for information on some recent bills related to the green-washing issues we discussed at our the most recent Energy and Environment Committee meeting:

• SB 567 (DeSaulnier) Truthful Environmental Advertising in Plastics. SB 567 bans the use of the deceptive environmental claim “biodegradable” and prohibits other greenwashing attempts unless manufacturer claims can meet specified pass-fail standards for plastics. The bill strengthens existing law by expanding these requirements on plastic bags and food containers to all plastic products, starting in January 2013. 
• AB 341 (Chesbro) Jobs & Recycling. AB 341 is the result of a hard-fought four year legislative campaign that establishes an ambitious new recycling paradigm for the state. AB 341 sets a 75 percent recycling goal for California by 2020—the most ambitious in the nation. Additionally, the measure requires every commercial business, institution and apartment building to implement recycling programs. By our calculations, AB 341 has the potential to create upwards of 60,000 jobs and reduce enough greenhouse gases equal to nearly 3 months of average household energy use. It would create green jobs by expanding recycling to every multi-family dwelling and business and would grant CalRecycle the responsibility for ensuring that the state is recycling at least 75% of the garbage that it generates by 2020. Note that San Francisco has already surpassed this goal.

If you have any questions, please contact Blake Peterson, Chair of the Energy & Environment Committee, at bpeterson@ashforthpacific.com.