SAN FRANCISCO — The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) reported that its energy efficiency programs resulted in savings of 5,900 gigawatt-hours of electricity in 2010-2011, enough to power more than 600,000 households for a year — the equivalent of two major power plants. In addition, the estimated savings cut carbon dioxide emissions by 3.8 million tons, the equivalent of removing more than 700,000 cars from the roads. The findings were based on utility-reported estimates.

In its 2010-2011 Energy Efficiency Annual Progress Evaluation Report, CPUC summarized investor-owned utility implementation thus far in CPUC’s $3.1 billion 2010-2012 energy efficiency program. The report details progress toward meeting multiple statewide energy and climate policy objectives.

The report states that 89 percent of estimated energy savings reported through 2011 occurred in the commercial (55 percent) and residential (34 percent) sectors. The agricultural and industrial sectors combine to make up the remaining 12 percent of electric savings. Through 2011, the majority of estimated electric savings was achieved through lighting (59 percent), followed by process improvements (13 percent) and HVAC (10 percent).