Bill Text: CA AB1953 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Higher Education Energy Efficiency Act: financial assistance.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-08-21 - From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR. [AB1953 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AB1953-Amended.html

---

BILL NUMBER: AB 1953	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 29, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Skinner
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Williams)

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2014

   An act to add Article 13 (commencing with Section 16429.40) to
Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code,
relating to energy efficiency.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1953, as amended, Skinner. Higher Education Energy Efficiency
Act:  grants.   financial assistance  
. 
   The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission. Under existing law, the commission may
apply for and accept grants, contributions, and appropriations, and
award grants consistent with the goals and objectives of a program or
activity the commission is authorized to implement or administer.
   This bill would enact the Higher Education Energy Efficiency Act.
The bill would create the Higher Education Energy Efficiency Fund in
the State Treasury and would make moneys in the fund available to the
State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, upon
appropriation, to  make grants   provide
financial assistance, including grants, no-interest or low-interest
loans, and loan loss reserves,  to University of California and
California State University campuses for building retrofits to reduce
the demand for energy. The bill would require the commission, in
consultation with the President of the University of California and
the Chancellor of the California State University to establish a
system to prioritize eligible campuses for  grants 
 this financial assistance  , as specified. The bill would
require  grant   the  recipients  of
this financial assistance  to report to the commission the
annual energy savings achieved from  grant-funded 
projects  supported by the financial assistance  , as
specified.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  (a) The University of California has committed to
achieving carbon neutrality through aggressive measures to increase
energy efficiency and develop renewable energy. The University of
California's model should produce substantial environmental and
economic benefits, leverage current and planned investments by the
University of California and others, and include projects that are
immediately ready to commence.
   (b) The California State University has similarly committed to
lowering annual energy consumption, reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, and lowering energy-related operating costs. Over a
five-year period, the California State University expects to decrease
demand by 5 percent and decrease electrical consumption across the
California State University system by 10 percent. The California
State University has committed to incorporate workforce development
strategies into its energy efficiency model.
   (c) There are opportunities to reduce both the economic cost and
carbon footprints of campus facilities at the University of
California and the California State University by having more
energy-efficient buildings, operations, and maintenance. These
financial savings could provide flexibility to pay for other upgrades
to enhance the learning environment and access to higher education.
   (d) It is in the best interest of the state to quickly reduce
energy consumption at university facilities, especially through
building retrofits that achieve the highest levels of energy
efficiency improvement.
  SEC. 2.  Article 13 (commencing with Section 16429.40) is added to
Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code,
to read:

      Article 13.  Energy Efficiency for Higher Education Facilities


   16429.40.  This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the
Higher Education Energy Efficiency Act.
   16429.41.  As used in this article:
   (a) "Chancellor" means the Chancellor of the California State
University.
   (b) "Commission" means the State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Commission.
   (c) "Eligible institution" means a campus of the University of
California or a campus of the California State University. 
   (d) "Financial assistance" includes, but is not necessarily
limited to, all of the following:  
   (1) Grants.  
   (2) No-interest or low-interest loans.  
   (3) Loan loss reserves.  
   (d) 
    (e)  "Fund" means the Higher Education Energy Efficiency
Fund established pursuant to Section 16429.42. 
   (e)
    (f)  "President" means the President of the University
of California.
   16429.42.  (a) The Higher Education Energy Efficiency Fund is
hereby created as a special fund in the State Treasury.
   (b) Moneys in the fund shall be available to the commission, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, for the implementation of this
article.
   16429.43.  (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the
commission administer the fund and implement this article in
coordination with the chancellor and the president to provide
 grants   financial   assistance 
to eligible institutions for building retrofits that reduce the
demand for energy.
   (b) The commission shall award  grants  
financial assistance  pursuant to this article, subject to the
following:
   (1) The  grants   financial assistance 
shall be awarded only to eligible institutions.
   (2) The commission shall ensure that adequate energy audit,
measurement, and verification procedures are employed to ensure that
energy savings occur as a result of the  grants 
 financial assistance  .
   (c) (1) The commission shall adopt any regulations or guidelines
necessary to implement this article. Notwithstanding any other law,
regulations pursuant to this section may be adopted as emergency
regulations pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340)
of Part 1 of Division 3.
   (2) For the purposes of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
11340) of Part 1 of Division 3, including Section 11349.6, the Office
of Administrative Law shall consider the adoption of the regulations
pursuant to this subdivision to be necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health and safety, and general
welfare.
   (d) The commission, to the extent possible, shall utilize existing
resources and expertise in implementing this article.
   (e) (1) Any eligible institution may submit an application to the
commission for  a grant   financial assistance
 from the fund for energy efficiency improvements. The form of
the application shall be established by the commission.
   (2) The commission, in consultation with the chancellor and the
president, shall establish a system to prioritize eligible
institutions for  grants   financial assistance
 through this article. Prioritization shall take into
consideration circumstances that shall include, but not be limited
to, the age of the campus facilities, the proportion of students at
the campus receiving Cal Grant awards, whether the facilities have
been recently modernized, the potential for demand reduction, and the
campus's score from a recognized energy rating system or systems.
   (f) This article shall not affect the eligibility of universities
awarded  grants   financial assistance 
pursuant to this article to receive other incentives available from
federal, state, and local government, or from public utilities or
other sources, and to leverage the  grant  
financial assistance  with those incentives.
   (g) Each year, on a schedule established by the commission, each
eligible institution that receives  a grant  
financial assistance  pursuant to this article shall report to
the commission the amount of energy saved. Each eligible institution
shall compute the cost of energy saved as a result of implementing
projects  funded   supported  by the
 grant   financial assistance  . The cost
shall be calculated in a manner established by the commission.
   (h) The commission shall determine, based on the annual energy
savings reported by the eligible institutions pursuant to subdivision
(g), the energy savings achieved pursuant to this article.