SFPUC 2001 Alameda Watershed Management Plan

III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND IMPACTSN. ENERGY1.0 SETTING1.1 REGIONAL SETTINGSources of EnergyPetroleum and natural gas supply most of the power consumed in California. Petroleum providesabout 50 percent of the state’s energy need, and natural gas provides about 29 percent (CEC,1994). The remaining 21 percent of the state’s energy need is provided by a variety of energyresources, including coal, nuclear, geothermal, and hydropower. The two major uses of energyare as fuel for transportation and electricity.Energy Plan, Policies, and RegulationsFederalThe National Energy Strategy (NES) was developed by the U.S. Department of Energy inJuly 1989 (U.S. Department of Energy, 1991/1992). The NES seeks to offer a balanced programof greater energy efficiency, use of alternative fuels, and the environmentally responsibledevelopment of all U.S. energy resources. The NES, expressly recognizing the connectionbetween energy sources and air pollution, calls for reducing energy-related emissions to achieveand maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for carbon monoxide and ozone, andincorporating air quality concerns into policies for energy supply and use. With respect totransportation, the NES seeks to reduce the amount of energy used to move people and goods byimproving the overall efficiency of the transportation system, through such policies as promotingmass transit and ride sharing, and by establishing higher Corporate Average Fuel Efficiencystandards for automobiles.StateBuilding energy consumption is regulated in California under the California Code ofRegulations, Title 24, which is referred to as the Building Standards Administrative Code. Thestandards related to energy efficiency are contained in Part 6 (within Title 24), which is referredto as the California Energy Code. The efficiency standards apply to new construction of bothresidential and nonresidential buildings, and regulate energy consumed for heating, cooling,ventilation, water heating, and lighting. The building energy efficiency standards are enforcedthrough the local building permit process.Transportation-related energy consumption is not subject to specific controls. The CaliforniaEnergy Commission (CEC) calls for the state to aggressively work to increase the efficiency ofits transportation system and the vehicles that use it, since these vehicles consume three-fourthsof the oil and roughly half of all the energy used in the state, and are the major source of airpollution in California (CEC, 1992). In addition, the federal government has mandated fuelNOP 96.223E: Alameda Watershed Management Plan III.N-1 ESA / 930385January 2001