[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 27, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3840-S3842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. 
        Alexander, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Clinton, Ms. 
        Klobuchar, and Mr. Craig):
  S. 992. A bill to achieve emission reductions and cost savings 
through accelerated use of cost-effective lighting technologies in 
public buildings, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the 
``Public Buildings Cost Reduction Act of 2007.'' I am joined by my 
Environment and Public Works Committee colleagues Senators Inhofe, 
Lautenberg, Alexander, Cardin, Lieberman, Clinton, and Klobuchar. This 
bill will reduce air pollution and save taxpayer money by accelerating 
the use of cost-effective technologies that reduce energy use in public 
buildings.
  The goal of this legislation is to have the government lead by 
example. This bill will help to ensure less polluting and more cost-
effective General Services Administration, or GSA, buildings. Under 
this legislation, the GSA, which is the Nation's largest public real 
estate organization, must establish a program to speed the use of cost-
effective and energy-efficient technology and other actions, called 
``cost-effective technologies and practices'', in its buildings. GSA 
also must assure that a manager is named who is responsible for 
accelerating the use of cost-effective technologies and practices for 
each GSA building.
  In addition, the GSA must review current and available highly-
efficient lighting within 90 days, and complete a plan within 6 months 
for installing highly-efficient lighting in GSA buildings. Within 1 
year after enactment, GSA must issue a detailed timetable to replace 
all existing inefficient lighting in GSA buildings as quickly as 
feasible, within 5 years, using available funds.
  A second provision in the bill requires GSA to complete a broader 
plan that will: (1) achieve a 20-percent reduction in operating costs 
at GSA facilities to the maximum extent feasible within 5 years after 
enactment through the application of cost-effective, highly efficient 
technologies and practices, using available funds; (2) describe the 
current and needed funding for these programs and any issues that may 
inhibit their implementation; (3) recommend uniform standards for 
federal agencies for highly efficient technologies; and (4) recommend 
ways to allow federal agencies to keep their savings from using 
efficient technologies and practices, to use them for additional 
investments and other purposes.
  The bill also creates an EPA grant program to help local governments 
make their buildings more efficient. This $20 million per year matching 
grant program at EPA will help local governments renovate their 
buildings to make them more cost-effective and energy efficient. The 
grant program will require a 40 percent match from the local 
government, and will require grantees to show they will cut utility 
bills by 40 percent through renovations of a building or buildings that 
use highly efficient technologies and practices. Further, EPA will have 
to verify the efficiency and savings and issue guidelines for the 
program. Grants of up to $1 million will be allowed. In addition, the 
bill requires reports to Congress on progress under the program, 
savings achieved, and recommendations.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of my bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 992

       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 ``Public Buildings Cost 
     Reduction Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. COST-EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION PROGRAM.

       (a) Establishment.--The Administrator of General Services 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Administrator'') shall 
     establish a program to accelerate the use of more cost-
     effective technologies and practices at GSA facilities.
       (b) Accelerated Use of Cost-Effective Lighting 
     Technologies.--
       (1) Review.--
       (A) In general.--As part of the program under this 
     subsection, not later than 90 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall conduct a 
     review of--
       (i) current use of cost-effective lighting technologies in 
     GSA facilities; and
       (ii) the availability to managers of GSA facilities of 
     cost-effective lighting technologies.
       (B) Requirements.--The review under subparagraph (A) 
     shall--
       (i) examine the use of cost-effective lighting technologies 
     and other cost-effective technologies and practices by 
     Federal agencies in GSA facilities; and
       (ii) identify, in consultation with the Environmental 
     Protection Agency, cost-effective lighting technology 
     standards that could be used for all types of GSA facilities.
       (2) Replacement.--
       (A) In general.--As part of the program under this 
     subsection, not later than 180 days

[[Page S3841]]

     after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
     shall establish a cost-effective lighting technology 
     acceleration program to achieve maximum feasible replacement 
     of existing lighting technologies with more cost-effective 
     lighting technologies in each GSA facility using available 
     appropriations.
       (B) Acceleration plan timetable.--
       (i) In general.--To implement the program established under 
     subparagraph (A), not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a 
     timetable including milestones for specific activities needed 
     to replace existing lighting technologies with more cost-
     effective lighting technologies, to the maximum extent 
     feasible (including at the maximum rate feasible), at each 
     GSA facility.
       (ii) Goal.--The goal of the timetable under clause (i) 
     shall be to complete, using available appropriations, maximum 
     feasible replacement of existing lighting technologies with 
     more cost-effective lighting technologies by not later than 
     the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act.
       (c) GSA Facility Cost-Effective Technologies and 
     Practices.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
     Administrator shall--
       (1) ensure that a manager responsible for accelerating the 
     use of cost-effective technologies and practices is 
     designated for each GSA facility; and
       (2) submit to Congress a plan, to be implemented to the 
     maximum extent feasible (including at the maximum rate 
     feasible) using available appropriations, by not later than 
     the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, that--
       (A) identifies the specific activities needed to achieve a 
     20-percent reduction in operational costs through the 
     application of cost-effective technologies and practices from 
     2003 levels at GSA facilities by not later than 5 years after 
     the date of enactment of this Act;
       (B) describes activities required and carried out to 
     estimate the funds necessary to achieve the reduction 
     described in subparagraph (A);
       (C) describes the status of the implementation of cost-
     effective technologies and practices at GSA facilities, 
     including--
       (i) the extent to which programs, including the program 
     established under subsection (b), are being carried out in 
     accordance with this Act; and
       (ii) the status of funding requests and appropriations for 
     those programs;
       (D) identifies within the planning, budgeting, and 
     construction process all types of GSA facility-related 
     procedures that inhibit new and existing GSA facilities from 
     implementing cost-effective technologies and practices;
       (E) recommends language for uniform standards for use by 
     Federal agencies in implementing cost-effective technologies 
     and practices;
       (F) in coordination with the Office of Management and 
     Budget, reviews the budget process for capital programs with 
     respect to alternatives for--
       (i) permitting Federal agencies to retain all identified 
     savings accrued as a result of the use of cost-effective 
     technologies and practices; and
       (ii) identifying short- and long-term cost savings that 
     accrue from cost-effective technologies and practices;
       (G) achieves cost savings through the application of cost-
     effective technologies and practices sufficient to pay the 
     incremental additional costs of installing the cost-effective 
     technologies and practices by not later than the date that is 
     5 years after the date of installation; and
       (H) includes recommendations to address each of the 
     matters, and a plan for implementation of each 
     recommendation, described in subparagraphs (A) through (G).
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out 
     this section, to remain available until expended.

     SEC. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY DEMONSTRATION GRANT 
                   PROGRAM FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

       (a) Grant Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency (referred to in this section as the 
     ``Administrator'') shall establish a demonstration program 
     under which the Administrator shall provide competitive 
     grants to assist local governments (such as municipalities 
     and counties), with respect to local government buildings--
       (A) to deploy cost-effective technologies and practices; 
     and
       (B) to achieve operational cost savings, through the 
     application of cost-effective technologies and practices, as 
     verified by the Administrator.
       (2) Cost sharing.--The Federal share of the cost of an 
     activity carried out using a grant provided under this 
     section shall be 40 percent.
       (3) Maximum amount.--The amount of a grant provided under 
     this subsection shall not exceed $1,000,000.
       (b) Guidelines.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue 
     guidelines to implement the grant program established under 
     subsection (a).
       (2) Requirements.--The guidelines under paragraph (1) shall 
     establish--
       (A) standards for monitoring and verification of 
     operational cost savings through the application of cost-
     effective technologies and practices reported by grantees 
     under this section;
       (B) standards for grantees to implement training programs, 
     and to provide technical assistance and education, relating 
     to the retrofit of buildings using cost-effective 
     technologies and practices; and
       (C) a requirement that each local government that receives 
     a grant under this section shall achieve facility-wide cost 
     savings, through renovation of existing local government 
     buildings using cost-effective technologies and practices, of 
     at least 40 percent as compared to the baseline operational 
     costs of the buildings before the renovation (as calculated 
     assuming a 3-year, weather-normalized average).
       (c) Compliance With State and Local Law.--Nothing in this 
     section or any program carried out using a grant provided 
     under this section supersedes or otherwise affects any State 
     or local law, to the extent that the State or local law 
     contains a requirement that is more stringent than the 
     relevant requirement of this section.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2007 through 2012.
       (e) Reports.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator shall provide annual 
     reports to Congress on cost savings achieved and actions 
     taken and recommendations made under this section, and any 
     recommendations for further action.
       (2) Final report.--The Administrator shall issue a final 
     report at the conclusion of the program, including findings, 
     a summary of total cost savings achieved, and recommendations 
     for further action.
       (f) Termination.--The program under this section shall 
     terminate on September 30, 2012.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Cost-effective lighting technology.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``cost-effective lighting 
     technology'' means a lighting technology that--
       (i) will result in substantial operational cost savings by 
     ensuring an installed consumption of not more than 1 watt per 
     square foot; or
       (ii) is contained in a list under--

       (I) section 553 of Public Law 95-619 (42 U.S.C. 8259b); and
       (II) Federal acquisition regulation 23-203.

       (B) Inclusions.--The term ``cost-effective lighting 
     technology'' includes--
       (i) lamps;
       (ii) ballasts;
       (iii) luminaires;
       (iv) lighting controls;
       (v) daylighting; and
       (vi) early use of other highly cost-effective lighting 
     technologies.
       (2) Cost-effective technologies and practices.--The term 
     ``cost-effective technologies and practices'' means a 
     technology or practice that--
       (A) will result in substantial operational cost savings by 
     reducing utility costs; and
       (B) complies with the provisions of section 553 of Public 
     Law 95-619 (42 U.S.C. 8259b) and Federal acquisition 
     regulation 23-203.
       (3) Operational cost savings.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``operational cost savings'' 
     means a reduction in end-use operational costs through the 
     application of cost-effective technologies and practices, 
     including a reduction in electricity consumption relative to 
     consumption by the same customer or at the same facility in a 
     given year, as defined in guidelines promulgated by the 
     Administrator pursuant to section 3(b), that achieves cost 
     savings sufficient to pay the incremental additional costs of 
     using cost-effective technologies and practices by not later 
     than the date that is 5 years after the date of installation.
       (B) Inclusions.--The term ``operational cost savings'' 
     includes savings achieved at a facility as a result of--
       (i) the installation or use of cost-effective technologies 
     and practices; or
       (ii) the planting of vegetation that shades the facility 
     and reduces the heating, cooling, or lighting needs of the 
     facility.
       (C) Exclusion.--The term ``operational cost savings'' does 
     not include savings from measures that would likely be 
     adopted in the absence of cost-effective technology and 
     practices programs, as determined by the Administrator.
       (4) GSA facility.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``GSA facility'' means any 
     building, structure, or facility, in whole or in part 
     (including the associated support systems of the building, 
     structure, or facility) that--
       (i) is constructed (including facilities constructed for 
     lease), renovated, or purchased, in whole or in part, by the 
     Administrator for use by the Federal Government; or
       (ii) is leased, in whole or in part, by the Administrator 
     for use by the Federal Government--

       (I) except as provided in subclause (II), for a term of not 
     less than 5 years; or
       (II) for a term of less than 5 years, if the Administrator 
     determines that use of cost-effective technologies and 
     practices would result in the payback of expenses.

       (B) Inclusion.--The term ``GSA facility'' includes any 
     group of buildings, structures, or facilities described in 
     subparagraph (A) (including the associated energy-consuming 
     support systems of the buildings, structures, and 
     facilities).
       (C) Exemption.--The Administrator may exempt from the 
     definition of ``GSA facility''

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     under this paragraph a building, structure, or facility that 
     meets the requirements of section 543(c) of Public Law 95-619 
     (42 U.S.C. 8253(c)).
                                 ______