An Interview with Arthur Rosenfeld, Ph.D., Commissioner, California Energy Commission

Commissioner Rosenfeld's work on the frontiers of energy analysis, standards and technologies has helped save billions of dollars in energy costs since the 1970s and has been instrumental in establishing energy efficiency as a priority resource under California's energy policy framework. In 2006, he received the Enrico Fermi Award, one of the most prestigious science and technology awards given by the U.S. government.

 

What are your priorities as Commissioner?

My main interests are energy efficiency in buildings and in industry, and I'm also the assigned Commissioner working to accelerate demand-response. Three-quarters of all our electricity goes into buildings. So, since the 1970s, I've spent a lot of time learning about buildings, how they use electricity and how you can reduce that use cost-effectively. We've made some progress and now we're talking about having zero-net-energy homes by 2020.

Any new promising technologies on the horizon?

I favor cool-colored pigments on roofs and cars, or better yet, white. A white roof saves 10 to 20 percent of the building's air-conditioning load. In California's 2005 Title 24 building standards, if the roof is flat, with no architectural issue, it must be white. Starting in 2009, if the roof is sloped, it must utilize one of the new cool-colored pigments. And cars sold in the United States should have cool colors, as well.

Why is energy efficiency so important?

The first benefit, of course, is that you save money. Another is reliability and energy independence. And the third is global warming, which has spurred a serious interest in energy efficiency.

What role has California played in advancing energy efficiency as a resource?

California began championing energy efficiency very early. In California, we've kept electricity use per capita constant at approximately 7,000 kWh per person per year, despite an 80 percent increase in gross domestic product per capita. The United States, on the other hand, had access to the same information, but has now gone up 50 percent.

How can PG&E's ClimateSmart™ program play a role?

It's a great idea and you've got the right approach—encourage energy efficiency first, renewables second, and then signing up for the ClimateSmart program. In the program's next phase, I think PG&E should go beyond California and experiment with projects in developing countries where energy is used very inefficiently. For example, about a billion poor people must now boil their polluted water to make it safe to drink. If we help them switch from boiling over a wood fire to running it under an ultraviolet lamp, they would save the equivalent of two or three million barrels of oil a day.

What did you learn on your recent visit to China?

China is growing so fast; last year alone, they built nearly two hundred 500 MW coal plants. It's very important to encourage China to follow California's rigorously enforced building standards and appliance standards—and praise them for their automobile standards, which are 50 percent tighter than ours. I believe that we in the West must set the example and work with China and India to follow suit.

PG&E is working to become the utility of the future. What will it take to get there?

You're doing a lot of the right things. I think even more outreach with your customers is warranted. I'm impressed by a new PG&E program to benchmark commercial buildings in your service area, which will give you the energy intensity of these buildings. The next step will be to actively bring these customers into your energy efficiency programs and help these building owners further reduce their energy use.