Iowa-2021-HF351-Introduced

H.F. 351 Section 1. Section 15.120, subsection 1, Code 2021, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . h. To encourage energy efficiency 3 investments and the construction of renewable energy generation 4 facilities for public school districts. 5 Sec. 2. Section 15.120, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 6 following new subsection: 7 NEW SUBSECTION . 2A. a. The governing board shall convene a 8 stakeholder group to do all of the following: 9 (1) Identify, develop, and promote best practices among 10 public school districts in using moneys from the secure an 11 advanced vision for education fund established in section 12 423F.2. 13 (2) Propose potential incentives that can be adopted to 14 encourage the use of moneys from the secure an advanced vision 15 for education fund established in section 423F.2 to finance the 16 costs of energy efficiency investments and the construction 17 of renewable energy generation facilities for elementary and 18 secondary public school buildings. 19 (3) Recommend specific energy efficiency investments and 20 the construction of specific renewable energy generation 21 facilities for elementary and secondary public school 22 buildings. 23 b. The stakeholder group shall submit its findings and 24 recommendations to the governing board, the center, and the 25 authority. 26 Sec. 3. Section 15.120, subsection 3, Code 2021, is amended 27 to read as follows: 28 3. a. The center shall employ necessary support staff. 29 The center staff shall be employees of the authority. Moneys 30 appropriated to the center shall be used to sponsor grants and 31 projects submitted on a competitive basis by Iowa businesses, 32 colleges and universities, public school districts, and private 33 nonprofit agencies and foundations, and for the salaries and 34 benefits of the employees of the center including grants and 35 -1- LSB 1251YH (2) 89 ja/rn 1/ 4

H.F. 351 projects recommended pursuant to paragraph “b” , and to support 1 the work of the stakeholder group established pursuant to 2 subsection 2A, paragraph “a” . Moneys appropriated to the 3 center shall also be used for the salaries and benefits of 4 the employees of the center . The center may also solicit 5 additional grants and funding from public and private nonprofit 6 agencies and foundations. 7 b. The center shall prepare an annual report in coordination 8 with the authority , which report shall contain recommendations 9 as to energy efficiency investments and the construction of 10 renewable energy generation facilities for elementary and 11 secondary public school buildings . The center shall submit the 12 report to the general assembly and the legislative services 13 agency by January 15 of each year. 14 Sec. 4. Section 476.46, subsection 1, Code 2021, is amended 15 to read as follows: 16 1. The Iowa energy center created under section 15.120 17 shall establish and administer an alternate energy revolving 18 loan program to encourage the development of alternate energy 19 production facilities and small hydro facilities within 20 the state , as well as energy efficiency investments and the 21 construction of renewable energy generation facilities for 22 elementary and secondary public school buildings . 23 Sec. 5. Section 476.46, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 24 2021, is amended to read as follows: 25 c. Moneys in the fund shall be used to provide loans for the 26 construction of alternate energy production facilities or , as 27 defined in section 476.42, small hydro facilities , as defined 28 in section 476.42 , and the energy efficiency investments or 29 renewable energy generation facilities recommended by the 30 Iowa energy center pursuant to section 15.120, subsection 3, 31 paragraph “b” . 32 Sec. 6. Section 476.46, subsection 2, paragraph d, 33 subparagraph (2), Code 2021, is amended to read as follows: 34 (2) A facility or energy efficiency investment shall 35 -2- LSB 1251YH (2) 89 ja/rn 2/ 4

H.F. 351 be eligible for no more than one million dollars in loans 1 outstanding at any time under this program. 2 Sec. 7. Section 476.46, subsection 2, paragraph e, 3 subparagraph (2), Code 2021, is amended to read as follows: 4 (2) Any loan made pursuant to this program shall become 5 due for payment upon sale of the facility or energy efficiency 6 investment for which the loan was made. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill relates to the use of moneys administered by the 11 Iowa energy center. 12 The bill adds to the list of the purposes of the center 13 encouraging energy efficiency investments and the construction 14 of renewable energy generation facilities for public school 15 districts. 16 The bill requires the governing board of the center to 17 convene a stakeholder group. The bill directs the stakeholder 18 group to identify, develop, and promote best practices among 19 public school districts in using moneys from the secure an 20 advanced vision for education fund established in Code section 21 423F.2; propose potential incentives that can be adopted to 22 encourage the use of such moneys to finance the costs of energy 23 efficiency investments and the construction of renewable energy 24 generation facilities for elementary and secondary public 25 school buildings; and recommend specific energy efficiency 26 investments and the construction of specific renewable energy 27 generation facilities for such buildings. 28 The bill also requires the stakeholder group to submit its 29 findings to the governing board, the center, and the authority. 30 The bill provides that the center is to include in its annual 31 report to the general assembly and the legislative services 32 agency recommendations as to energy efficiency investments and 33 the construction of renewable energy generation facilities for 34 elementary and secondary public school buildings. 35 -3- LSB 1251YH (2) 89 ja/rn 3/ 4

H.F. 351 Current law requires the center to use moneys appropriated 1 to it to sponsor grants and projects submitted on a competitive 2 basis by Iowa businesses, colleges and universities, and 3 private nonprofit agencies and foundations, and for the 4 salaries and benefits of the employees of the center. The 5 bill adds to this list the requirement that the center use 6 such moneys to sponsor grants and projects submitted by public 7 school districts on behalf of elementary and secondary public 8 schools and recommended by the center. The bill also allows 9 the center to use moneys appropriated to it to support the work 10 of the stakeholder group. 11 The bill also makes several changes to the terms of the 12 alternate energy revolving loan program established pursuant to 13 Code section 476.46. Currently, the center is to administer 14 the program to encourage the development of alternate energy 15 production facilities and small hydro facilities within this 16 state. The bill provides the center is also to administer 17 the program to encourage the development of energy efficiency 18 investments and the construction of renewable energy generation 19 facilities for elementary and secondary public school 20 buildings. In addition, the bill allows for moneys in the 21 alternate energy revolving loan fund to be used for energy 22 efficiency investments or the construction of renewable energy 23 generation facilities recommended by the center in its annual 24 report. 25 -4- LSB 1251YH (2) 89 ja/rn 4/ 4