Promoting emerging energy-efficiency technologies and practices by utilities in a restructured energy industry: a report from California

The potential energy savings from emerging technologies (i.e. those technologies emerging from research and development) represent a significant resource to California and the US. This paper describes how Californiaʹs investor-owned utilities (IOUs) have been promoting emerging technologies over the past three years to increase energy efficiency in the buildings sector. During these years, the IOUs have experienced significant changes in their regulatory environment as part of the restructuring of the energy industry in California. These regulatory changes have impacted the way emerging technologies are treated by the regulatory community and the IOUs. After reviewing these changes, the paper concludes by discussing potential opportunities to improve the market penetration of emerging technologies.