Energy: Equitable Building Decarbonization Program: Low-Income Oversight Board: membership.

Senator Hurtado’s proposal would replace the governance structure for low‑income energy programs and place a new focus on coordinating efficiency incentives with decarbonization funding, by establishing an umbrella Equitable Building Decarbonization Program that consolidates the Energy Commission’s direct‑install and statewide incentive efforts with incentives authorized by the Public Utilities Commission, while also replacing the existing Low‑Income Advisory Board with a Low‑Income Oversight Board.

Within the Energy Commission framework, the Equitable Building Decarbonization Program is created to encompass the direct‑install component and the statewide incentives program for low‑carbon building technologies. If money allocated to the program remains unspent after two years, the Commission must evaluate potential changes to boost participation and may reallocate unspent funds within the program. The bill also requires a mechanism to notify applicants that they may be eligible for PUC incentives, creating a cross‑agency notification channel intended to align participation across programs.

On the regulatory side, the bill replaces the Low‑Income Advisory Board with a Low‑Income Oversight Board comprising 12 members appointed by various authorities, including five Commission‑selected experts with no agency or utility affiliation, a Governor appointee, and seats representing a Commissioner, the Department of Community Services and Development, private weatherization contractors, electric or gas and water utilities, and a new seat for the Executive Director of the Energy Commission. The LIOB’s duties include monitoring and evaluating programs for low‑income energy customers, assisting in assessments of need, promoting collaboration to leverage funds, producing reports to the Legislature, and aiding streamlined enrollment and compliance for low‑income programs, including ULTS and relevant statutory provisions. The board may establish a technical advisory committee, and its meeting locations would rotate among northern, central, and southern California. Compensation and reimbursement for members and staff would be provided through the Public Utilities Reimbursement Account, with the commission required to coordinate budgeting accordingly.

The bill does not create new appropriations; rather, it embeds cost reimbursement and budget integration within existing fiscal channels and requires legislative fiscal oversight. Its implementation hinges on operational details such as how cross‑agency notifications will be designed and executed, how transitions from the prior advisory structure to the new oversight board will occur, and how the new governance and coordination mechanisms will interact with current Energy Commission and PUC programs. The changes collectively increase interagency coordination, broaden stakeholder representation, and formalize oversight practices for programs serving low‑income energy customers.