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2007 U.S. Energy Act

Selected Policy & Grant Opportunities

I. Interesting Policy Initiatives

Section 314- Standards for Single Package Vertical Air Conditioners and Heat

Pumps

This section adopts ASHRAE standards for small commercial air conditioners under

65,000 Btu capacity and for single package vertical units.

Section 431- Energy Reduction Goals for Federal Buildings

This section accelerates targets for energy use reductions in federal buildings to 3% per

year for FY08-FY15, ending in a 30% reduction in energy intensity by 2015, consistent

with Executive Order 13423.

Section 433- Federal Building Energy Efficiency Performance Standards

This section requires new federal buildings, if feasible, to reduce fossil fuel consumption

by 55% in 2010, and rising to 100% by 2030.

Section 434- Management of Federal Building Efficiency

This section requires large capital energy investments in federal facilities to be the most

energy-efficient that is cost-effective. Also requires federal agencies to meter natural gas,

steam, chilled water, and water, as well as electricity.

Section 441- Public Building Life-Cycle Costs

This section extends the period for life-cycle cost accounting for federal buildings to 40

years.

Section 532- Utility Energy Efficiency Programs

This section requires state regulators to consider integrating energy efficiency into

electric and natural gas utility plans and modifying rate structures to provide incentives

for energy efficiency and to decouple returns from energy sales.

Smart Grid

Section 1301- Statement of Policy on Modernization of Electricity Grid

This section establishes it the policy of the United States to support the modernization of

the Nation’s electricity transmission and distribution system to maintain a reliable and

secure electricity infrastructure that can meet future demand growth and to achieve other

goals and measures.

Section 1302- Smart Grid System Report

This section requires DOE to report to Congress concerning the status of smart grid

deployments nationwide and any regulatory or government barriers to continued

deployment.

Section 1303- Smart Grid Advisory Committee and Smart Grid Task Force

This section requires DOE to establish a Smart Grid Advisory Committee to advise the

Secretary and others concerning the development of smart grid technologies, the progress

of a national transition to the use of smart-grid technologies and services, the evolution

of widely-accepted technical and practical standards and protocols to allow

interoperability and inter-communication among smart-grid capable devices, and the

optimum means of using Federal incentive authority to encourage such progress.

Section 1305- Smart Grid Interoperability Framework

This section directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a

framework for the connection of smart grid devices and systems, and FERC to adopt such

standards and protocols.

Section 1307- State Consideration of Smart Grid

This section requires state regulators to consider requiring and funding smart grid

investments.

Section 1308- Study of the Effect of Private Wire Laws on the Development of

Combined Heat and Power Facilities

This section requires the DOE, in consultation with the States and other entities, to

conduct a study of the laws and regulations affecting the siting of privately owned

electric distribution wires on and across public rights-of-way.

II.  Potential Grant opportunities:

Section 451- Industrial Energy Efficiency

This section directs EPA to survey and create a registry of sites where recoverable waste

energy and combined heat and power projects may be economically feasible. Authorizes

$100 million in 2008 and $200 million per year in 2009-2012 for EPA grants for

production of electricity and useful thermal energy from waste energy (at $10 per

megawatt-hour or equivalent), and $10 million per year for grants to states that have

achieved 80% recovery of identified opportunities (at $1000 per megawatt).

This section also requires states and nonregulated utilities to consider a standard for sale

of excess power from waste energy recovery projects to the utility or for transport of the

electricity to enable sale to a third party, while authorizing $10 million per year to EERE

for Clean Energy Application Centers (formerly CHP Application Centers) in 8 regions.

Section 452- Energy-Intensive Industries Program

This section authorizes $184 million in FY08 for a DOE RD&D program in cooperation

with industry to improve the energy efficiency of data centers, product manufacturing,

and food processing. The amount authorized rises to $190 million in FY09, $196 million

in FY10, $202 million in FY11, and $208 million in 2012.

Subtitle E- Healthy High-Performance Schools

Section 461- Healthy High-Performance Schools

This section authorizes $1 million for FY09 and $1.5 billion every year for FY10-FY13

for grants to states to provide technical assistance to schools for use in addressing

environmental issues and development and implementation of State school environmental

health programs, with a 5 year sunset provision.

This section also gives the EPA, along with the Dept. of Education and HHS to issue

voluntary guidelines for states to develop and implement an environmental health

program for schools.

Section 462- Study of Indoor Environmental Quality in Schools

This section authorizes $200 thousand a year for FY08-FY12 for EPA, along with the

Dept. of Education and DOE to study how sustainable building features such as energy

efficiency affect multiple perceived indoor environmental quality stressors on students in

K-12 schools.

Subtitle F- Institutional Entities

Section 471- Energy Sustainability and Efficiency Grants and Loans for Institutions

This section authorizes $250 million per year in 2009-13 for a DOE technical assistance

and grants program, and $500 million per year for direct loans, for energy-efficiency and

sustainability projects, including combined heat and power, in public institutions.

Subtitle H- General Provisions

Section 491- Demonstration Project

This section directs the GSA office to do at least 6 green building demonstration projects

at federal facilities, and the DOE office to do at least 4 at universities. This section also

authorizes $10 million each for FY2008-2012 for federal and university demonstration

projects.

Subtitle E- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants

Section 542- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

This section establishes the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

for the DOE to provide grants to implement strategies to reduce fossil fuel emissions

created as a result of activities within the jurisdictions of eligible entities, to reduce the

total energy use of eligibility entities, and improve energy efficiency in various sectors.

Section 543- Allocation of Funds

This section allocates the amounts of funds for grants for each fiscal year made by DOE

to be 68 percent to eligible units of local governments, 28 percent to states, 2 percent to

Indian tribes, and 2 percent for competitive grants.

Section 544- Use of Funds

This section states that grants received must be toward achieving the development of

implementation of an energy efficiency and conservation strategy, retaining technical

consultant services to assist the eligible entity in the development of such a strategy,

development of methods to measure progress in achieving the goals, development and

publication of annual reports to the population served by the eligible entity, development

and implementation of programs to conserve energy used in transportation, development

and implementation of building codes and inspection services to promote building energy

efficiency, and various other purposes.

Geothermal Energy

Section 613- Hydrothermal Research and Development

This section requires DOE to support programs of research, development, demonstration,

and commercial application to expand the use of geothermal energy production from

hydrothermal systems, including advanced hydrothermal resource tools and industry

coupled exploratory drilling.

Section 614- General Geothermal Systems Research and Development

This section requires DOE to support programs of research, development, demonstration,

and commercial application of components and systems capable of withstanding extreme

geothermal environments and necessary to cost-effectively develop, produce, and

monitor geothermal reservoirs and produce geothermal energy; models of geothermal

reservoir performance, with an emphasis on accurately modeling performance over time;

and technologies and practices designed to mitigate or preclude potential adverse

environmental impacts of geothermal energy development, production or use, and seek to

ensure that geothermal energy development is consistent with the highest practicable

standards of environmental stewardship.

Section 615- Enhanced Geothermal Systems Research and Development

This section requires DOE to support programs of research, development, demonstration,

and commercial application for enhanced geothermal systems, including enhanced

geothermal systems technologies and enhanced geothermal systems reservoir stimulation.

Section 625- High Cost of Region Geothermal Energy Grant Program

This section requires DOE to make grants to eligible entities, with respect to geothermal

energy projects in a high-cost region, to conduct feasibility studies, for design and

engineering costs, and to demonstrate and promote commercial application of

technologies related to geothermal energy as part of the project.

Green Jobs

Section 1001- Short Title

This section cites this title as the ‘Green Jobs Act of 2007.’

Section 1002- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program

This section authorizes a Department of Labor energy efficiency and renewable energy

worker training program, including grants to industry-labor partnerships and to states,

and tracking workforce trends.

Small Business Energy Programs

Section 1201- Express Loans for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

This section authorizes loans for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency

projects under the Express Loan Program of the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Section 1202- Pilot Program for Reduced 7(a) Fees for Purchase of Energy Efficient

Technologies

This section requires the EPA to establish and carry out a pilot program under which the

Administrator shall reduce the fees for covered energy efficiency loans.

Section 1204- Larger 504 Loan Limits to Help Business Develop

Energy Efficient Technologies and Purchases

This section increases loan limit for SBA “504-CDC” loans for projects that reduce

energy use by at least 10%, use sustainable design, or produce renewable energy or fuels

.

Section 1205- Energy Saving Debentures

This section authorizes new small business investment companies to issue Energy Saving

debentures.

Section 1206- Investments in Energy Saving Small Businesses

This section excludes the investments made from Section 1205 from SBA calculations of

company leverage.

Smart Grid

Section 1304- Smart Grid Technology Research, Development, and Demonstration

This section authorizes DOE Smart Grid RD&D program, including $100 million per

year in 2008-2012 for demonstration projects.

Section 1306- Federal Matching Fund for Smart Grid Investment Costs

This section authorizes funds for a DOE matching grant program for one-fifth of Smart

Grid investment costs.

Sustainability at Southern New Hampshire University