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About ETCC

California’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) have combined forces to promote new cost-effective, energy saving technologies—the basis for products and services that strengthen the region’s economy while meeting today’s and tomorrow’s environmental challenges. This work responds to the mandate outlined in the California Energy Action Plan.

Building on the Energy Action Plan, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has authorized IOU energy efficiency programs designed to save 23 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year and 45 million therms of natural gas per year by 2013. That’s the annualized equivalent of taking nearly 2 million cars off the road and lighting 3.4 million homes.

To help achieve these ambitious energy savings goals, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, and San Diego Gas and Electric and the CEC have created the Emerging Technologies Coordinating Council (ETCC).

The ETCC smoothes the path from the laboratory to the marketplace for promising technologies that help Californians save money and energy. It provides a collaborative forum for the five stakeholder organizations to exchange information on opportunities and results from their Emerging Technologies activities. The CPUC finances ETCC operations out of IOU ratepayer Public Goods Charge funds, and provides regulatory guidance. The ETCC meets four times a year.

Saving Californians Energy through Technology

The ETCC focuses on identification, assessment, and rapid commercialization of energy-reducing technologies, such as advanced lighting, water heating, and air-conditioning systems, for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. ETCC stakeholders are committed to helping achieve California's energy-reduction goals through an array of activities:

Streamlining the market introduction of energy-saving products and services by screening potential technologies, assessing them to validate performance and customer acceptance, and recommending the proven winners for IOU customer education and rebate programs. The ETCC is particularly interested in technologies that offer large energy savings and rapid market penetration.
Leveraging strengths and experience by working with partners throughout the state and the country. These partners include universities and research organizations, consulting firms, professional associations, technology companies, venture capitalists, and utilities. It is through these partnerships—which are pivotal to ETCC’s success—that potential technologies are discovered and evaluated. In general, partners provide much of the research and development necessary for an idea to take shape and, if proven successful, reach the market.
Providing broad access to technology assessment results by maintaining an online project database that gives the public ready access to information about the latest in energy efficient technologies. Acting as an Emerging Technologies knowledge base, this resource provides a forum for real-time idea exchange between ETCC members and their partners, allowing for quick dissemination of innovative solutions and helping prevent redundant efforts. The database also lets utility customers and others interested parties stay abreast of the latest in energy saving technology.
Providing public outreach by hosting energy efficiency events, such as the bi-annual Emerging Technologies in Energy Efficiency Summit. These summits provide a forum for the ETCC and its partners to discuss and discover the latest breakthroughs in energy efficiency. In addition, representatives from each utility provide Emerging Technologies events and classes specific to each market’s unique needs. Check your utility’s website to see upcoming events.

Be part of California’s Energy Solution

The ETCC welcomes new hosts and partners for technology assessment projects. By hosting an Emerging Technologies project, you will play an important role in meeting California's energy goals. If you are interested in hosting an Emerging Technologies assessment project at your business home, please fill out the online form.