On February 12, 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) published a proposed decision outlining two new pilots that would set the state on the path toward decarbonizing its buildings with an estimated cost of $200 million over four years.[1] The two pilot programs are Building Initiative for Low-Emissions Development (BUILD) program, which would incentivize low emissions technologies in new residential buildings, and the Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating (TECH) initiative, which would expand the market for low-emission space heaters in both new and existing residential buildings. The CPUC's proposed decision would allocate 40% of the total $200 million budget for the BUILD program, and 60% for the TECH initiative. The proposed pilot programs stem from a 2018 state senate bill, SB 1477, which mandated that the CPUC must develop BUILD and TECH.[2] According to SB 1477, California has seen very little growth in near-zero emissions construction practices and clean heating despite the economic savings they would provide. To comply with the senate bill and achieve the growth in near-zero emissions it proscribes, the CPUC launched its building decarbonization rulemaking in January, 2019. It also intends to align its policies with building energy efficiency standards and create a broader framework for building decarbonization policy.[3]

[1] http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M326/K933/326933578.PDF

[2] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1477

[3] http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M264/K629/264629773.PDF