25410-25422
PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE
SECTION 25410-25422
25410. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Energy Conservation Assistance Act of 1979. 25410.5. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Energy costs are frequently the second largest discretionary expense in a local government's budget. According to the commission, most public institutions could reduce their energy costs by 20 to 30 percent. (b) A variety of energy conservation measures are available to local governments. These measures are highly cost-effective, often providing a payback on the initial investment in three years or less. (c) Many local governments lack energy management expertise and are often unaware of their high energy costs or the opportunities to reduce those costs. (d) Local governments that desire to reduce their energy costs through energy conservation and efficiency measures often lack available funding. (e) Since 1980, the Energy Conservation Assistance Account has provided $110 million in loans, through a revolving loan account, to 600 schools, hospitals, and local governments. The energy conservation projects funded by the account save approximately $35 million annually in energy costs. (f) Local governments and public institutions need assistance in all aspects of energy efficiency improvements, including, but not limited to, project identification, project development and implementation, evaluation of project proposals and options, operations and maintenance, and troubleshooting of problem projects. 25410.6. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission shall administer the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account to provide grants and loans to local governments and public institutions to maximize energy use savings, including, but not limited to, technical assistance, demonstrations, and identification and implementation of cost-effective energy efficiency measures and programs in existing and planned buildings or facilities. (b) It is further the intent of the Legislature that the commission seek the assistance of utility companies in providing energy audits for local governments and public institutions and in publicizing the availability of State Energy Conservation Assistance Account funds to qualified entities. 25411. As used in this chapter: (a) "Allocation" means a loan of funds by the commission pursuant to the procedures specified in this chapter. (b) "Building" means any existing or planned structure that includes a heating or cooling system, or both. Additions to an original building shall be considered part of that building rather than a separate building. (c) "Eligible institution" means a school, hospital, public care institution, or a unit of local government. (d) "Energy audit" means a determination of the energy consumption characteristics of a building or facility that does all of the following: (1) Identifies the type, size, and energy use level of the building or facility and the major energy using systems of the building or facility. (2) Determines appropriate energy conservation maintenance and operating procedures. (3) Indicates the need, if any, for the acquisition and installation of energy conservation measures. (e) "Energy conservation maintenance and operating procedure" means a modification or modifications in the maintenance and operations of a building or facility, and any installations therein (based on the use time schedule of the building or facility), which are designed to reduce energy consumption in the building or facility and that require no significant expenditure of funds. (f) "Energy conservation measure" means an installation or modification of an installation in a building or facility that is primarily intended to reduce energy consumption or allow the use of a more desirable energy source. (g) "Energy conservation project" means an undertaking to acquire and to install one or more energy conservation measures in a building or facility, and technical assistance in connection with that undertaking. (h) "Facility" means any major energy using system of an eligible institution whether or not housed in a building. (i) "Hospital" means a public or nonprofit institution that is both of the following: (1) A general hospital, tuberculosis hospital, or any other type of hospital, other than a hospital furnishing primarily domiciliary care. (2) Duly authorized to provide hospital services under the laws of this state. (j) "Hospital building" means a building housing a hospital and related operations, including laboratories, laundries, outpatient departments, nurses' home and training activities, and central service operations in connection with a hospital, and also includes a building housing education or training activities for health professions personnel operated as an integral part of a hospital. (k) "Local government building" means a building that is primarily occupied by offices or agencies of a unit of local government or by a public care institution. (l) "Project" means a purpose for which an allocation may be requested and made under this chapter. Those purposes shall include energy audits, energy conservation and operating procedures, and energy conservation measures in existing and planned buildings and facilities, energy conservation projects, and technical assistance programs. (m) "Public care institution" means a public or nonprofit institution that owns: (1) A long-term care institution. (2) A rehabilitation institution. (3) An institution for the provision of public health services, including related publicly owned services such as laboratories, clinics, and administrative offices operated in connection with the institution. (4) A residential child care center. (n) "Public or nonprofit institution" means an institution owned and operated by: (1) The state, a political subdivision of the state, or an agency or instrumentality of either. (2) An organization exempt from income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. (3) In the case of public care institutions, an organization also exempt from income tax under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. (o) "School" means a public or nonprofit institution, including a local educational agency, which: (1) Provides, and is legally authorized to provide, elementary education or secondary education, or both, on a day or residential basis. (2) Provides, and is legally authorized to provide, a program of education beyond secondary education, on a day or residential basis and meets all of the following requirements: (A) Admits as students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of that certificate. (B) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association. (C) Provides an education program for which it awards a bachelor's degree or higher degree or provides not less than a two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a degree at any institution that meets the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) and provides that program. (3) Provides not less than a one-year program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation and that meets the provisions of (2). (p) "School building" means a building housing classrooms, laboratories, dormitories, athletic facilities, or related facilities operated in connection with a school. (q) "Technical assistance costs" means costs incurred for the use of existing personnel or the temporary employment of other qualified personnel, or both, necessary for providing technical assistance. (r) "Technical assistance program" means assistance to schools, hospitals, local government, and public care institutions and includes, but is not limited to: (1) Conducting specialized studies identifying and specifying energy savings and related cost savings that are likely to be realized as a result of: (A) Modification of maintenance and operating procedures in a building or facility, in addition to those modifications implemented after the preliminary energy audit, or (B) Acquisition and installation of one or more specified energy conservation measures in the building or facility, or as a result of both. (C) New construction activities. (2) Planning of specific remodeling, renovation, repair, replacement, or insulation projects related to the installation of energy conservation measures in the building or facility. (3) Developing and evaluating alternative project implementation methods and proposals. (s) "Unit of local government" means a unit of general purpose government below the state or a special district. 25412. Any eligible institution may submit an application to the commission for an allocation for the purpose of financing all or a portion of the costs incurred in implementing a project. The application shall be in such form and contain such information as the commission shall prescribe. An application may be for the purpose of financing the eligible institution's share of such costs which are to be jointly funded through a state, local, or federal-local program. 25413. Applications may be approved by the commission only in those instances where the eligible institution has furnished information satisfactory to the commission that the costs of the project, plus interest on state funds loaned, calculated in accordance with Section 25415, will be recovered through savings in the cost of energy to the institution during the repayment period of the allocation. The savings shall be calculated in a manner prescribed by the commission. 25414. Annually at the conclusion of each fiscal year, but not later than October 31, each eligible institution that has received an allocation pursuant to this chapter shall compute the cost of energy saved as a result of implementing a project funded by the allocation. The cost shall be calculated in a manner prescribed by the commission. 25415. (a) Each eligible institution to which an allocation has been made under this chapter shall repay the principal amount of the allocation, plus interest, in not more than 30 equal semiannual payments, as determined by the commission. The first semiannual payment shall be made on or before December 22 of the fiscal year following the year in which the project is completed. The repayment period may not exceed the life of the equipment, as determined by the commission or the lease term of the building in which the energy conservation measures will be installed. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commission shall, unless it determines that the purposes of this chapter would be better served by establishing an alternative interest rate schedule, periodically set interest rates on the loans based on surveys of existing financial markets and at rates not less than 1 percent per annum. (c) The governing body of each eligible institution shall annually budget an amount at least sufficient to make the semiannual payments required in this section. The amount shall not be raised by the levy of additional taxes but shall instead be obtained by a savings in energy costs or other sources. 25416. (a) The State Energy Conservation Assistance Account is hereby created in the General Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the account is continuously appropriated to the commission without regard to fiscal year. (b) The money in the account shall consist of all money authorized or required to be deposited in the account by the Legislature and all money received by the commission pursuant to Sections 25414 and 25415. (c) The money in the account shall be disbursed by the Controller for the purposes of this chapter as authorized by the commission. (d) The commission may contract and provide grants for services to be performed for eligible institutions. Services may include, but are not limited to, feasibility analysis, project design, field assistance, and operation and training. The amount expended for those services may not exceed 10 percent of the unencumbered balance of the account as determined by the commission on July 1 of each year. (e) The commission may make grants to eligible institutions for innovative projects and programs. Except as provided in subdivision (d), the amount expended for grants may not exceed 5 percent of the annual unencumbered balance in the account as determined by the commission on July 1 of each fiscal year. (f) The commission may charge a fee for the services provided under subdivision (d). (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Controller may use the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account for loans to the General Fund as provided in Sections 16310 and 16381 of the Government Code. 25417. (a) An allocation made pursuant to this chapter shall be used for the purposes specified in an approved application. (b) In the event that the commission determines that an allocation has been expended for purposes other than those specified in an approved application, it shall immediately request the return of the full amount of the allocation. The eligible institution shall immediately comply with such request. 25417.5. (a) In furtherance of the purposes of the commission as set forth in this chapter, the commission has the power and authority to do all of the following: (1) Borrow money, for the purpose of obtaining funds to make loans pursuant to this chapter, from the California Economic Development Financing Authority, the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, and the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority from the proceeds of revenue bonds issued by any of those agencies. (2) Pledge, to provide collateral in connection with the borrowing of money pursuant to paragraph (1), loans made pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 5.4 (commencing with Section 25440), or the principal and interest payments on loans made pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 5.4 (commencing with Section 25440). (3) Sell loans made pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 5.4 (commencing with Section 25440), at prices determined in the sole discretion of the commission, to the California Economic Development Financing Authority, the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, and the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority to raise funds to enable the commission to make loans to eligible institutions. (4) Enter into loan agreements or other contracts necessary or appropriate in connection with the pledge or sale of loans pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3), or the borrowing of money as provided in paragraph (1), containing any provisions that may be required by the California Economic Development Financing Authority, the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, or the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority as conditions of issuing bonds to fund loans to, or the purchase of loans from, the commission. (b) In connection with the pledging of loans, or of the principal and interest payment on loans, pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), the commission may enter into pledge agreements setting forth the terms and conditions pursuant to which the commission is pledging loans or the principal and interest payment on loans, and may also agree to have the loans held by bond trustees or by independent collateral or escrow agents and to direct that payments received on those loans be paid to those trustee, collateral, or escrow agents. (c) The commission may employ financial consultants, legal advisers, accountants, and other service providers, as may be necessary in its judgment, in connection with activities pursuant to this chapter. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this chapter provides a complete, separate, additional, and alternative method for implementing the measures authorized by this chapter, including the authority of the eligible institutions or local jurisdictions to have borrowed and to borrow in the future pursuant to loans made pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 5.4 (commencing with Section 25440), and is supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws. 25418. The Department of Finance, at its discretion, may audit the expenditure of any allocation made pursuant to this chapter or the computation of any payment made pursuant to Section 25415. 25419. In addition to the powers specifically granted to the commission by the other provisions of this chapter, the commission shall have the following powers: (a) To establish qualifications and priorities, consistent with the objectives of this chapter, for making allocations. (b) To establish such procedures and policies as may be necessary for the administration of this chapter. 25420. The commission may expend from the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account an amount to pay for the actual administrative costs incurred by the commission pursuant to this chapter. The amount shall not exceed 5 percent of the annual unencumbered balance in the account as determined by the commission on July 1 of each fiscal year, to be used to defray costs incurred by the commission for allocations made by the commission pursuant to this chapter. 25421. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), this chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2013, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, which is enacted before January 1, 2013, deletes or extends that date. (b) All loans outstanding as of January 1, 2013, shall continue to be repaid on a semiannual basis, as specified in Section 25415, until paid in full. All unexpended funds in the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account on January 1, 2013, and thereafter, except to the extent those funds are encumbered pursuant to Section 25417.5, shall revert to the General Fund. 25422. (a) Federal funds available to the commission pursuant to Chapter 5.6 (commencing with Section 25460) may be used by the commission to augment funding for grants and loans pursuant to this chapter. Any federal funds used for loans shall, when repaid, be deposited into the Energy Conservation Assistance Account and used to make additional loans pursuant to this chapter. (b) A separate subaccount shall be established within the Energy Conservation Assistance Account to track the award and repayment of loans from federal funds, including any interest earnings, in accordance with the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).