Senate File 296 - Introduced



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  HOGG


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act establishing a local government energy innovation
  2    competitive grant program, and making an appropriation.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 2600SS 82
  5 rn/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  473.21  LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENERGY
  1  2 INNOVATION COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM == FUND.
  1  3    1.  The Iowa energy center created under section 266.39C
  1  4 shall establish and administer a local government energy
  1  5 innovation competitive grant program.  The objective of the
  1  6 grant program shall be to assist political subdivisions of the
  1  7 state in the development and implementation of innovative
  1  8 transportation, conservation, or energy efficiency programs
  1  9 involving the utilization of alternative or renewable energy
  1 10 generation sources; ethanol, biodiesel, and other alternative
  1 11 fuels; and energy efficient building construction and
  1 12 rehabilitation standards.  For purposes of this section,
  1 13 "political subdivision" means any municipality, township,
  1 14 county, district, or authority, or any portion, or combination
  1 15 of two or more, thereof.
  1 16    2.  A local government energy innovation competitive grant
  1 17 fund is created in the office of the treasurer of state to be
  1 18 administered by the Iowa energy center.  The fund shall
  1 19 include moneys appropriated or otherwise directed to the fund.
  1 20 Section 8.33 shall not apply to the moneys in the fund.
  1 21    3.  A political subdivision may apply to the Iowa energy
  1 22 center for a grant under this section by filing a completed
  1 23 application as directed by the Iowa energy center that
  1 24 includes plans for utilization of the funding received and an
  1 25 estimate of the energy efficiency savings to be achieved.  The
  1 26 Iowa energy center shall develop grant approval criteria by
  1 27 rule.  The criteria shall include the following:
  1 28    a.  Projected reduction in energy usage.
  1 29    b.  Projected energy savings.
  1 30    c.  Availability of private and local matching funds.
  1 31    d.  Additional social or environmental benefits to be
  1 32 derived through implementation of energy efficiency or
  1 33 reduction measures.
  1 34    e.  Whether the program can be duplicated by other
  1 35 political subdivisions.
  2  1    4.  Grant recipients shall be required to submit a report
  2  2 to the Iowa energy center regarding utilization of the funding
  2  3 received and the impact and results of the program developed
  2  4 and implemented within one year from a grant award.
  2  5    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  473.22  LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENERGY
  2  6 INNOVATION COMPETITIVE GRANTS == APPROPRIATION.
  2  7    There is annually appropriated from the general fund of the
  2  8 state to the local government energy innovation competitive
  2  9 grant fund the sum of one million dollars to be used for the
  2 10 local government energy innovation competitive grant program
  2 11 established in section 473.21.  The Iowa energy center may
  2 12 retain up to two percent of the annual appropriation for costs
  2 13 of administering the program.
  2 14                           EXPLANATION
  2 15    This bill establishes a local government energy innovation
  2 16 competitive grant program to be administered by the Iowa
  2 17 energy center created under Code section 266.39C.  The purpose
  2 18 of the program shall be to assist political subdivisions of
  2 19 the state in the development and implementation of innovative
  2 20 transportation, conservation, or energy efficiency programs
  2 21 involving the utilization of alternative or renewable energy
  2 22 generation sources; ethanol, biodiesel, and other alternative
  2 23 fuels; and energy efficient building construction and
  2 24 rehabilitation standards.  The bill defines a "political
  2 25 subdivision" as any municipality, township, county, district,
  2 26 or authority, or any portion, or combination of two or more,
  2 27 thereof.
  2 28    The bill provides that applicants shall provide information
  2 29 including plans for utilization of the funding received and an
  2 30 estimate of the energy efficiency savings to be achieved.
  2 31 Grant approval criteria, to be developed by the Iowa energy
  2 32 center by rule, shall include projected reduction in energy
  2 33 usage or savings, availability of matching funds, anticipated
  2 34 additional social or environmental benefits, and whether the
  2 35 program can be duplicated by other political subdivisions.
  3  1 The bill requires grant recipients to submit a report to the
  3  2 Iowa energy center regarding utilization of the funding
  3  3 received and the impact and results of the program within one
  3  4 year from a grant award.
  3  5    The bill appropriates $1 million annually for purposes of
  3  6 the program, and provides that the Iowa energy center shall be
  3  7 authorized to retain up to 2 percent of the appropriation for
  3  8 costs of administering the program.
  3  9 LSB 2600SS 82
  3 10 rn:nh/gg/14