California has passed new rules for its utilities to adopt a ‘total system benefit’ (TSB) metric for energy efficiency programs. The TSB will combine and optimize energy savings goals and greenhouse gas benefits into one metric that can be forecasted and tracked, and used by planners. The TSB also encourages “high value” load reduction and longer-duration energy savings while being fuel agnostic.
Regulators ordered the state’s investor-owned utilities to file new efficiency program applications by February 2022, to take effect by January 2024. The CPUC also said that this summer the commission will be considering new energy efficiency goals and “adding additional details” to the efficiency program changes to efficiency programs.