[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 133 (Saturday, August 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4225-S4226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5204. Mr. LANKFORD submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 5194 proposed by Mr. Schumer to the bill H.R. 5376, to
provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14;
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
Strike sections 50121 through 50123 and insert the
following:
SEC. 50121. HOME ENERGY PERFORMANCE-BASED, WHOLE-HOUSE
REBATES.
(a) Appropriation.--
(1) In general.--In addition to amounts otherwise
available, there is appropriated to the Secretary for fiscal
year 2022, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, $4,300,000,000, to remain available through
September 30, 2031, to carry out a program to award grants to
State energy offices to develop and implement a HOMES rebate
program.
(2) Allocation of funds.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall reserve funds made
available under paragraph (1) for each State energy office--
(i) in accordance with the allocation formula for the State
Energy Program in effect on January 1, 2022; and
(ii) to be distributed to a State energy office if the
application of the State energy office under subsection (b)
is approved.
(B) Additional funds.--Not earlier than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, any money reserved under
subparagraph (A) but not distributed under clause (ii) of
that subparagraph shall be redistributed to the State energy
offices operating a HOMES rebate program using a grant
received under this section in proportion to the amount
distributed to those State energy offices under subparagraph
(A)(ii).
(3) Administrative expenses.--Of the funds made available
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall use not more than 3
percent for--
(A) administrative purposes; and
(B) providing technical assistance relating to activities
carried out under this section.
(b) Application.--A State energy office seeking a grant
under this section shall submit to the Secretary an
application that includes a plan to implement a HOMES rebate
program, including a plan--
(1) to use procedures, as approved by the Secretary, for
determining the reductions in home energy use resulting from
the implementation of a home energy efficiency retrofit that
is calibrated to historical energy usage for a home
consistent with BPI 2400, for purposes of modeled performance
home rebates;
(2) to use open-source advanced measurement and
verification software, as approved by the Secretary, for
determining and documenting the monthly and hourly (if
available) weather-normalized energy use of a home before and
after the implementation of a home energy efficiency
retrofit, for purposes of measured performance home rebates;
(3) to value savings based on time, location, or greenhouse
gas emissions;
(4) for quality monitoring to ensure that each home energy
efficiency retrofit for which a rebate is provided is
documented in a certificate that--
(A) is provided by the contractor and certified by a third
party to the homeowner; and
(B) details the work performed, the equipment and materials
installed, and the projected energy savings or energy
generation to support accurate valuation of the retrofit;
(5) to provide a contractor performing a home energy
efficiency retrofit or an aggregator who has the right to
claim a rebate $200 for each home located in an underserved
community that receives a home energy efficiency retrofit for
which a rebate is provided under the program; and
(6) to ensure that a homeowner or aggregator does not
receive a rebate for the same upgrade through both a HOMES
rebate program and any other Federal grant or rebate program,
pursuant to subsection (c)(8).
(c) HOMES Rebate Program.--
(1) In general.--A HOMES rebate program carried out by a
State energy office receiving a grant pursuant to this
section shall provide rebates to homeowners and aggregators
for whole-house energy saving retrofits begun on or after the
date of enactment of this Act and completed by not later than
September 30, 2031.
(2) Amount of rebate.--Subject to paragraph (3)(B), under a
HOMES rebate program, the amount of a rebate shall not
exceed--
(A) for individuals and aggregators carrying out energy
efficiency upgrades of single-family homes--
(i) in the case of a retrofit that achieves modeled energy
system savings of not less than 20 percent but less than 35
percent, the lesser of--
(I) $2,000; and
(II) 50 percent of the project cost;
(ii) in the case of a retrofit that achieves modeled energy
system savings of not less than 35 percent, the lesser of--
(I) $4,000; and
(II) 50 percent of the project cost; and
(iii) for measured energy savings, in the case of a home or
portfolio of homes that achieves energy savings of not less
than 15 percent--
(I) a payment rate per kilowatt hour saved, or kilowatt
hour-equivalent saved, equal to $2,000 for a 20 percent
reduction of energy use for the average home in the State; or
(II) 50 percent of the project cost;
(B) for multifamily building owners and aggregators
carrying out energy efficiency upgrades of multifamily
buildings--
(i) in the case of a retrofit that achieves modeled energy
system savings of not less than 20 percent but less than 35
percent, $2,000 per dwelling unit, with a maximum of $200,000
per multifamily building;
(ii) in the case of a retrofit that achieves modeled energy
system savings of not less than 35 percent, $4,000 per
dwelling unit, with a maximum of $400,000 per multifamily
building; or
(iii) for measured energy savings, in the case of a
multifamily building or portfolio of multifamily buildings
that achieves energy savings of not less than 15 percent--
(I) a payment rate per kilowatt hour saved, or kilowatt
hour-equivalent saved, equal to $2,000 for a 20 percent
reduction of energy use per dwelling unit for the average
multifamily building in the State; or
(II) 50 percent of the project cost; and
(C) for individuals and aggregators carrying out energy
efficiency upgrades of a single-family home occupied by a
low- or moderate-income household or a multifamily building
not less than 50 percent of the dwelling units of which are
occupied by low- or moderate-income households--
(i) in the case of a retrofit that achieves modeled energy
system savings of not less than 20 percent but less than 35
percent, the lesser of--
(I) $4,000 per single-family home or dwelling unit; and
(II) 80 percent of the project cost;
(ii) in the case of a retrofit that achieves modeled energy
system savings of not less than 35 percent, the lesser of--
(I) $8,000 per single-family home or dwelling unit; and
(II) 80 percent of the project cost; and
(iii) for measured energy savings, in the case of a single-
family home, multifamily building, or portfolio of single-
family homes or multifamily buildings that achieves energy
savings of not less than 15 percent--
(I) a payment rate per kilowatt hour saved, or kilowatt
hour-equivalent saved, equal to $4,000 for a 20 percent
reduction of energy use per single-family home or dwelling
unit, as applicable, for the average single-family home or
multifamily building in the State; or
(II) 80 percent of the project cost.
(3) Rebates to low- or moderate-income households.--
(A) In general.--A State energy office carrying out a HOMES
rebate program using a grant awarded pursuant to this section
is encouraged to provide rebates, to the maximum extent
practicable, to low- or moderate-income households.
(B) Increase in rebate amount.--On approval from the
Secretary, notwithstanding paragraph (2), a State energy
office carrying out a HOMES rebate program using a grant
awarded pursuant to this section may increase rebate amounts
for low- or moderate-income households.
(4) Use of funds.--A State energy office that receives a
grant pursuant to this section may use not more than 20
percent of the grant amount for planning, administration, or
technical assistance related to a HOMES rebate program.
(5) Data access guidelines.--The Secretary shall develop
and publish guidelines for States relating to residential
electric and natural gas energy data sharing.
(6) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall coordinate with State energy offices to
ensure that HOMES rebate programs for which grants are
provided under this section are developed to achieve maximum
greenhouse gas emissions reductions and household energy and
costs savings regardless of source energy.
(7) Exemption.--Activities carried out by a State energy
office using a grant awarded pursuant to this section shall
not be subject to the expenditure prohibitions and
limitations described in section 420.18 of title 10, Code of
Federal Regulations.
(8) Prohibition on combining rebates.--A rebate provided by
a State energy office under a HOMES rebate program may not be
combined with any other Federal grant or rebate for the same
single upgrade.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) HOMES rebate program.--The term ``HOMES rebate
program'' means a Home Owner Managing Energy Savings rebate
program established by a State energy office as part of an
approved State energy conservation plan under the State
Energy Program.
(2) Low- or moderate-income household.--The term ``low- or
moderate-income household'' means an individual or family the
total annual income of which is less than 80 percent of the
median income of the area in which the individual or family
resides, as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, including an individual or family that has
demonstrated eligibility for another Federal program with
income restrictions equal to or below 80 percent of area
median income.
(3) Underserved community.--The term ``underserved
community'' means--
(A) a community located in a ZIP code that includes 1 or
more census tracts that include--
(i) a low-income community; or
(ii) a community of racial or ethnic minority
concentration; and
[[Page S4226]]
(B) any other community that the Secretary determines is
disproportionately vulnerable to, or bears a disproportionate
burden of, any combination of economic, social, and
environmental stressors.
SEC. 50122. STATE-BASED HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONTRACTOR
TRAINING GRANTS.
(a) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise
available, there is appropriated to the Secretary for fiscal
year 2022, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, $200,000,000, to remain available through
September 30, 2031, to carry out a program to provide
financial assistance to States to develop and implement a
State program described in section 362(d)(13) of the Energy
Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6322(d)(13)), which
shall provide training and education to contractors involved
in the installation of home energy efficiency and
electrification improvements, including improvements eligible
for rebates under a HOMES rebate program (as defined in
section 50121(d)), as part of an approved State energy
conservation plan under the State Energy Program.
(b) Use of Funds.--A State may use amounts received under
subsection (a)--
(1) to reduce the cost of training contractor employees;
(2) to provide testing and certification of contractors
trained and educated under a State program developed and
implemented pursuant to subsection (a); and
(3) to partner with nonprofit organizations to develop and
implement a State program pursuant to subsection (a).
(c) Administrative Expenses.--Of the amounts received by a
State under subsection (a), a State shall use not more than
10 percent for administrative expenses associated with
developing and implementing a State program pursuant to that
subsection.
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