[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 828 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 828

To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish the Office 
 of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy as the lead Federal agency 
   for coordinating Federal, State, and local assistance provided to 
              promote the energy retrofitting of schools.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 14, 2011

  Mr. Udall of Colorado (for himself and Ms. Collins) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish the Office 
 of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy as the lead Federal agency 
   for coordinating Federal, State, and local assistance provided to 
              promote the energy retrofitting of schools.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Streamlining Energy Efficiency for 
Schools Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF ENERGY RETROFITTING ASSISTANCE FOR SCHOOLS.

    Section 392 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 
6371a) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Coordination of Energy Retrofitting Assistance for Schools.--
            ``(1) Definition of school.--In this subsection, the term 
        `school' means--
                    ``(A) an elementary school or secondary school (as 
                defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801));
                    ``(B) an institution of higher education (as 
                defined in section 102(a) of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a));
                    ``(C) a school of the defense dependents' education 
                system under the Defense Dependents' Education Act of 
                1978 (20 U.S.C. 921 et seq.) or established under 
                section 2164 of title 10, United States Code;
                    ``(D) a school operated by the Bureau of Indian 
                Affairs;
                    ``(E) a tribally controlled school (as defined in 
                section 5212 of the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 
                1988 (25 U.S.C. 2511); and
                    ``(F) a Tribal College or University (as defined in 
                section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1059c(b))).
            ``(2) Designation of lead agency.--The Secretary, acting 
        through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 
        shall act as the lead Federal agency for coordinating and 
        disseminating information on existing Federal programs and 
        assistance that may be used to help initiate, develop, and 
        finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy 
        retrofitting projects for schools.
            ``(3) Requirements.--In carrying out coordination and 
        outreach under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) in consultation and coordination with the 
                appropriate Federal agencies, carry out a review of 
                existing programs and financing mechanisms (including 
                revolving loan funds and loan guarantees) available in 
                or from the Department of Agriculture, the Department 
                of Energy, the Department of Education, the Department 
                of the Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service, the 
                Environmental Protection Agency, and other appropriate 
                Federal agencies with jurisdiction over energy 
                financing and facilitation that are currently used or 
                may be used to help initiate, develop, and finance 
                energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy 
                retrofitting projects for schools;
                    ``(B) establish a Federal cross-departmental 
                collaborative coordination, education, and outreach 
                effort to streamline communication and promote 
                available Federal opportunities and assistance 
                described in subparagraph (A), for energy efficiency, 
                renewable energy, and energy retrofitting projects that 
                enables States, local educational agencies, and 
                schools--
                            ``(i) to use existing Federal opportunities 
                        more effectively; and
                            ``(ii) to form partnerships with Governors, 
                        State energy programs, local educational, 
                        financial, and energy officials, State and 
                        local government officials, nonprofit 
                        organizations, and other appropriate entities, 
                        to support the initiation of the projects;
                    ``(C) provide technical assistance for States, 
                local educational agencies, and schools to help develop 
                and finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and 
                energy retrofitting projects--
                            ``(i) to increase the energy efficiency of 
                        buildings or facilities;
                            ``(ii) to install systems that individually 
                        generate energy from renewable energy 
                        resources;
                            ``(iii) to establish partnerships to 
                        leverage economies of scale and additional 
                        financing mechanisms available to larger clean 
                        energy initiatives; or
                            ``(iv) to promote--
                                    ``(I) the maintenance of health, 
                                environmental quality, and safety in 
                                schools, including the ambient air 
                                quality, through energy efficiency, 
                                renewable energy, and energy retrofit 
                                projects; and
                                    ``(II) the achievement of expected 
                                energy savings and renewable energy 
                                production through proper operations 
                                and maintenance practices;
                    ``(D) develop and maintain a single online resource 
                Web site with contact information for relevant 
                technical assistance and support staff in the Office of 
                Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for States, 
                local educational agencies, and schools to effectively 
                access and use Federal opportunities and assistance 
                described in subparagraph (A) to develop energy 
                efficiency, renewable energy, and energy retrofitting 
                projects; and
                    ``(E) establish a process for recognition of 
                schools that--
                            ``(i) have successfully implemented energy 
                        efficiency, renewable energy, and energy 
                        retrofitting projects; and
                            ``(ii) are willing to serve as resources 
                        for other local educational agencies and 
                        schools to assist initiation of similar 
                        efforts.
            ``(4) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to 
        Congress a report describing the implementation of this 
        subsection.
            ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection such 
        sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2012 through 
        2016.''.
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