Comment Log Display

Chairwoman Nichols and Board Members:

We understand that the Scoping Plan calls for significant
investments in conservation and recommends a public goods charge on
water bills to fund end-use water efficiency improvements,
system-wide efficiency projects and water recycling. We completely
support this action. The state legislature approved legislation
createing public goods charges on gas and electricity bills in the
1980s which have helped fund energy efficiency programs that have
saved California energy customers billions of dollars in avoided
costs, and helped avoid the need to build dozens of new powerplants
costing billions of dollars since the PGC charges were first
adopted. We strongly urge the Board to keep water public goods
charges as part of our AB 32 implementation plans.  Water
collection, transmission, distribution and treatment requires 19%
of all the energy used in California. Finding more ways to increase
water efficiency would help solve the state's energy problems, as
well as addressing its water shortage problems. 

Thanks for considering these comments. 

Don Wood, Sr. Policy Advisor
Pacific Energy Policy Center
La Mesa, California