HF 2100 (LSB 5498YH (3) 89)

HOUSE FILE 2100

BY  GOBBLE

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing the alternate energy innovation program in the department of education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256.36A  Alternate energy innovation program —— fund.
   1.  For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
   a.  “Higher education provider” means an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents or an accredited private institution as defined in section 261.9.
   b.  “School” means all of the following:
   (1)  A school district established pursuant to chapter 274.
   (2)  A charter school established pursuant to chapter 256E.
   (3)  A charter school or innovation zone school established pursuant to chapter 256F.
   c.  “Solar energy conversion equipment” means any device that is primarily used to collect and convert incident solar radiation into thermal, mechanical, or electrical energy or any device that is primarily used to transform such converted solar energy to a storage point or to a point of use.
   d.  “Wind energy conversion equipment” means any device, including a wind charger, windmill, wind turbine, tower and electrical equipment, pad mount transformers, power lines, and substation, which converts wind energy to a form of usable energy.
   2.  The alternate energy innovation program is established in the department. The department shall administer the alternate energy innovation program in consultation with the state board of regents and the utilities board within the utilities division of the department of commerce. The alternate energy innovation program is designed to enhance educational opportunities by providing students enrolled in schools and students enrolled in higher education providers with access to solar energy conversion equipment and wind energy conversion equipment.
   3.  A school and a higher education provider may enter into an agreement to allow students enrolled in the higher education provider to provide training and practical instruction to students enrolled in the school related to the solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment and how to maintain the solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment.
   4.  a.  An alternate energy innovation program fund is established in the state treasury under the authority of the department. The alternate energy innovation program fund shall consist of moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the department. Moneys in the alternate energy innovation program fund are appropriated to the department to be used for the alternate energy innovation program.
   b.  The department shall use the moneys in the alternate energy innovation program fund to provide grants to schools pursuant to this section. The department shall use the moneys in the alternate energy innovation program fund to leverage available federal moneys if possible.
   c.  Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys deposited in the alternate energy innovation program fund shall be credited to the alternate energy innovation program fund. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys credited to the alternate energy innovation program fund shall not revert at the close of a fiscal year.
   5.  A school may apply to the department for a grant pursuant to this section for the installation of solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment on the school’s property. The department shall award grants on a competitive basis after considering the following:
   a.  The school’s total proposed budget for the proposed project, including all of the following:
   (1)  The amount or percentage of local or federal matching funds, if any, and any funding obligations shared between the school and private entities.
   (2)  The percentage of funding provided directly from the school, including whether the school requested from the department an amount less than the maximum amount the department could award pursuant to subsection 6 and, if so, the percentage of the project cost that the school is requesting.
   b.  The specific educational attributes resulting from the proposed project, including the benefit the project would have on students and the courses that could utilize the solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment.
   c.  Whether the school will partner with a higher education provider pursuant to an agreement entered into under subsection 3.
   d.  Other factors the department deems relevant.
   6.  a.  The total amount of the grants the department awards from the alternate energy innovation program fund pursuant to this section shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars per school per school budget year.
   b.  In addition to the limitation in paragraph “a”, the total amount of the grants the department awards from the alternate energy innovation program fund pursuant to this section shall not exceed any of the following amounts per school per school budget year:
   (1)  Fifty percent of a school’s project costs for the installation of solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment if the school has entered into an agreement with a higher education provider under subsection 3.
   (2)  Thirty-five percent of a school’s project costs for the installation of solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment if the school has not entered into an agreement with a higher education provider under subsection 3.
   7.  A school may sell to the electric public utility that provides electricity to the school any electricity produced by the solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment that the school installed pursuant to a grant awarded by the department under this section. Moneys generated by the sale of electricity pursuant to this subsection are miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257 and shall be used for in-classroom expenses.
   8.  The department and the utilities board within the utilities division of the department of commerce shall jointly adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill establishes the alternate energy innovation program in the department of education.
   The bill requires the department of education to administer the alternate energy innovation program in consultation with the state board of regents and the utilities board within the utilities division of the department of commerce. The bill provides that the alternate energy innovation program is designed to enhance educational opportunities by providing students enrolled in schools —— public schools, charter schools, or innovation zone schools —— and students enrolled in higher education providers with access to solar energy conversion equipment and wind energy conversion equipment.
   The bill authorizes a school and a higher education provider to enter into an agreement to allow students enrolled in the higher education provider to provide training and practical instruction to students enrolled in the school related to the solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment.
   The bill establishes the alternate energy innovation program fund in the state treasury under the authority of the department. The bill authorizes a school to apply to the department for a grant from the fund for the installation of solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment on the school’s property. The bill describes the factors the department must consider when determining what school should receive a grant.
   The bill provides that the total amount of the grants the department awards from the fund shall not exceed $500,000 per school per school budget year. Additionally, the bill limits the total amount of the grants the department awards from the fund to 50 percent of a school’s project costs if the school has entered into an agreement with a higher education provider and 35 percent of a school’s project costs if the school has not entered into an agreement with a higher education provider.
   The bill authorizes a school to sell to the electric public utility that provides electricity to the school any electricity produced by the solar energy conversion equipment or wind energy conversion equipment that the school installed pursuant to a grant awarded by the department under the alternate energy innovation program. Any moneys received are miscellaneous income for purposes of Code chapter 257 (financing school programs) and must be used for in-classroom expenses.
   The bill requires the department and the utilities board within the utilities division of the department of commerce to jointly adopt rules to administer the alternate energy innovation program.
   The bill defines “higher education provider”, “school”, “solar energy conversion equipment”, and “wind energy conversion equipment”.