Approval of Local Energy Efficiency and Conservation Standards Application Findings Submitted by the City of Santa Cruz for the 2025 Energy Code Cycle

The California Energy Commission approved the City of Santa Cruz’s application to enforce locally adopted energy efficiency standards under Ordinance No. 2025-19, following a ministerial review process mandated by California Code of Regulations Title 24, Part 1, sections 10-106 and 10-110, and Public Resources Code section 25402.1(h)(2). The approval, issued on January 21, 2026, was contingent on two non-discretionary findings: first, that the proposed standards would reduce energy consumption compared to the 2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, and second, that the city had submitted a documented basis for its cost-effectiveness determination. The CEC did not exercise subjective judgment or comparative evaluation; approval was granted solely upon verified compliance with these statutory requirements. The application was submitted on September 22, 2025, and the decision was made during the CEC’s Business Meeting after staff analysis and the Executive Director’s recommendation. This process does not constitute a procurement contract, and no federal acquisition regulation clauses, pricing, deliverables, payment terms, or contractual obligations are involved. The city’s submission included the necessary documentation, but no contract line items, cost estimates, invoicing methods, or financial data were provided or required. The place of performance is Santa Cruz, California, where the standards will be enforced, while administrative review and final approval occur at the CEC’s headquarters in Sacramento. No evaluation factors beyond the two statutory criteria exist, no weights or ratings are applied, and approval is binary—either granted for full compliance or denied for incompleteness. The process is regulatory and administrative, not competitive or commercial, with no subcontracting, packaging, labeling, or delivery requirements. The sole outcome of the action is the Commission’s formal finding enabling local enforcement of the energy efficiency standards.