§ 15-10-205 - Arkansas Energy Office -- Powers and duties.
15-10-205. Arkansas Energy Office -- Powers and duties.
(a) The Arkansas Energy Office shall coordinate authority and planning by the state in energy-related matters and shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
(1) Coordinating energy matters between and among all state agencies;
(2) Compiling an energy profile for the state which includes, but is not limited to, data on the demand for and supply of renewable and nonrenewable energy resources;
(3) Collecting data on, planning, and administering emergency plans, when needed, to allocate the distribution of motor fuels, aviation fuels, heating oil, and propane by wholesale jobbers and dealers within the state;
(4) Collecting data on, planning, and administering emergency plans, when needed, for the conservation or rationing of motor fuels;
(5) Proposing executive and legislative measures on energy-related matters;
(6) Providing comments before state and federal regulatory bodies on energy matters mandated by federal and state agencies;
(7) Monitoring and evaluating existing and proposed actions, laws, policies, regulations, and orders of the state and federal governments in energy matters relevant to Arkansas;
(8) Securing and administering federal energy grants for agencies of state government and monitoring and publicizing federal energy grants available to the private sector;
(9) Carrying out energy-related administrative and program functions established and required by federal law, regulations, or guidelines when applicable in Arkansas;
(10) Developing and administering conservation programs directed toward reducing wasteful, inefficient uses of energy;
(11) Promulgating reasonable rules and regulations for the purpose of implementing and prescribing enforcement for thermal and lighting efficiency standards for new building construction in the state;
(12) Developing and proposing thermal and lighting efficiency improvement programs for all buildings owned by the state and prescribing reasonable thermal and lighting efficiency criteria applicable to the leasing of buildings by all state agencies; and
(13) Administering a public energy awareness program to inform and demonstrate to the public the importance and methods of utilizing energy conservation and renewable energy resources.
(b) The office shall have the authority to:
(1) Provide comments before state and federal bodies in energy matters relevant to Arkansas;
(2) Receive and expend funds obtained from the federal government or other sources by means of contracts, grants, awards, payment for services, and other devices in support of energy-related programs, studies, or other operations beneficial to the State of Arkansas;
(3) Promulgate reasonable rules and regulations for the purpose of:
(A) Implementing and prescribing enforcement for thermal and lighting efficiency standards for new building construction; and
(B) Requiring a city or county that issues building permits for new building construction to adopt the 2004 Arkansas Energy Code for New Building Construction, as it existed on January 1, 2009;
(4) Propose programs for the implementation of thermal and lighting efficiency improvements for all buildings owned by the state and prescribe reasonable thermal and lighting efficiency criteria applicable to the leasing of buildings by all state agencies; and
(5) Promulgate rules and regulations for the purpose of administering emergency plans as referred to in subdivision (a)(4) of this section.
(c) Prior to the final adoption of the rules and regulations prescribing thermal and lighting efficiency standards for new building construction referred to in subdivision (b)(3) of this section, the Joint Committee on Energy of the General Assembly shall review and comment on the rules and regulations of the office.