Update on CBPCA Home Performance Programs in California

The Gas Company is tentatively planning to join with Edison in that 2009-11 program, which will further expand the incentives but won’t change the program.

Our work in the smaller Anaheim program is on hold while that utility and its consultant (CSG) try to improve their marketing. We have several BPI-certified contractors working in that area, and they believe that will be enough until customer demand picks up. But this won’t affect our bigger Edison program.

We have talked with San Diego Gas & Electric, and that utility is also intending to field some sort of home performance program for 2009-11. No details yet on that.

LADWP has no plans to enter this field within the next couple of years; they want to watch the other programs for a while first. We know of no other California utilities planning anything.

Northern/Central California: PG&E is now preparing a contract with us to do a 6-month “pilot” home performance program beginning this June. This program will be virtually the same as the 2009 Edison program, including cash-rebate-or-low-interest financing. It will be crucial to PG&E’s further support in 2009 for our NorCal contractors to deliver at least 200 home retrofits during this period, including substantial upgrades, full test data and utility bills. But as with the Edison program, the benefits to our contractors will make that data really worth the trouble. These programs will make it possible to give our contractors much more help in both marketing and field support…so let’s get those jobs!

SMUD is also planning to release a bid request for their new home performance program by this summer. It will include BOTH low-interest financing and cash rebates plus major marketing by the utility. CBPCA may or may not propose to manage the program, but is probably going to be involved as the trade association representing the contractors.

<return to top

<return to CBPCA Montlhy News