Bill Summary for H 330 (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Mar 26 2019

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
House Bill 330 (Public) Filed Monday, March 11, 2019
AN ACT TO SAVE NORTH CAROLINA TAXPAYER DOLLARS BY REQUIRING REDUCTIONS IN ENERGY AND WATER CONSUMPTION IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS BY 2025.
Intro. by Szoka, Arp, Humphrey, Ross.

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Bill summary

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Amends the proposed changes to GS 143-64.12, to maintain the biennial frequency of management plan updates for each state agency and state institution of higher learning (previously proposed increase to annually). Increases the frequency of reporting utility consumption and costs of each community college from biennially to annually. Removes the requirement for the Department of Administration to develop and conduct an energy audit and procedure for conducting energy audits every five years as part of the Facilities Condition and Assessment Program. Makes conforming changes to the management plans of State agencies and institutions. Makes conforming deletion of the Department of Administration's reporting requirement regarding energy audits. Deletes the proposed increase in frequency of the report of the State Energy Office on its comprehensive program to manage utility use for state agencies and state institutions of higher learning, to now maintain the biennial frequency (previously proposed increase to annually).

Enacts GS 143-64.12A to require all state agencies and institutions of higher learning to ensure that lighting in unoccupied interior spaces and upward-directed flood lighting is turned off on the premises of all buildings owned or leased by the entities from midnight until 6:00 a.m., unless required for safety, emergency, or insurance purposes. Places compliance responsibility with the building manager or property manager of each premises.

Modifies the proposed changes to the definition of energy conservation measure as used in Part 2, Article 3B, GS Chapter 143 (Energy Saving Measures for Governmental Units) set out in GS 143-64.17. Now defines the term to mean a facility or meter alteration, training, or services related to the operation of the facility or meter, when the alteration, training, or services provide anticipated energy savings, generate revenue, or capture lost revenue (previously, eliminated the existing language for providing captured lost revenue). Now specifically includes proper building envelope (was, air) and duct sealing of all applicable areas in the building in insulating the building structure and systems. Further amends the proposed changes to the definition of energy savings as used in Part 2, to refer to both captured lost revenues and generated revenues (previously, referred to "generated revenues" rather than "captured lost revenues"). 

Changes the timelines concerning the analyses for implementing energy conservation measures. Now requires every state agency and state institution of higher learning to conduct a preliminary practicality and feasibility analysis of implementing energy conservation measures for all buildings greater than 20,000 square feet in size that have been in use for more than 10 years by October 1, 2020 (was, May 31, 2020). Now requires implementation, as specified, of the measures if they are found to be practical and economically feasible, including issuing a request for proposal (RFP) no later than April 1, 2021 (was, December 31, 2020), if the agency or institution decides to issue an RFP for a guaranteed energy savings contract for one or more buildings to achieve energy conservation measures. Now requires each state agency and state institution of higher learning to repeat the described analysis process for all buildings greater than 10,000 square feet in size and that have been in use for more than 10 years no later than October 1, 2025 (was, May 31, 2025), with RFPs issued for a guaranteed energy savings contract no later than April 1, 2026 (was, December 31, 2025). 

Eliminates the proposed repeals of Sections 4.2(a) and 4.2(b) of SL 2017-10, which repealed the annual reporting requirement of the Department of Administration on the implementation of the Sustainable Energy Efficient Building Program set out in GS 143-135.39(f) and (g) and GS 143-135.40(b).