[Senate Report 116-107]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                      Calendar No. 207
116th Congress      }                                    {      Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session        }                                    {     116-107

======================================================================



 
             STREAMLINING ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR SCHOOLS ACT

                                _______
                                

               September 19, 2019.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Ms. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 253]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 253) to coordinate the provision of 
energy retrofitting assistance to schools, having considered 
the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and 
recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.

                               AMENDMENTS

    The amendments are as follows:
    On page 3, line 18, strike ``Affairs'' and insert 
``Education''.
    On page 3, line 21, strike ``schools'' and insert 
``schools, and identify programs that are duplicative.''

                                PURPOSE

    The purpose of S. 253 is to coordinate the provision of 
energy retrofitting assistance to schools.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    While K-12 school districts typically spend billions of 
dollars annually on their energy bills, and there are a variety 
of existing Federal programs to help reduce those costs, it is 
difficult for school administrators to navigate all of their 
options. S. 253 seeks to improve the effectiveness and 
awareness of Federal energy efficiency programs for schools by 
providing a coordinating structure to help school officials 
better utilize available Federal energy programs and financing 
options.
    S. 253 establishes the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office 
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) as the lead 
agency in coordinating a cross-departmental effort to help 
initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, renewable 
energy, and energy retrofitting projects for schools. The 
legislation also requires a review of existing Federal programs 
and financing mechanisms, streamlines communication and 
outreach to States, local education agencies, and schools 
regarding existing programs, and develops a mechanism for 
governors, State energy programs, nonprofit organizations, and 
local educational, financial, and energy officials to form a 
peer-to-peer network to support the initiation of the projects. 
Finally, DOE is directed to provide technical assistance to 
States, local educational agencies, and schools to effectively 
access and use federal tools to finance, develop, and maintain 
these projects.
    The Alliance to Save Energy estimates this legislation 
would result in $2.21 billion in net annual energy savings and 
help avoid 15.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide 
emissions, at no cost to the Federal Government.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 253 was introduced by Senators Collins, Warner, Shaheen, 
Portman, and Merkley on January 29, 2019. Senator Hassan was 
added as a cosponsor on March 25, 2019.
    Similar legislation, H.R. 762 was introduced in the House 
of Representatives by Representatives Cartwright, Carbajal, 
Connolly, Fitzpatrick, Lowenthal, Matsui, McEachin, Pingree, 
Pocan, Quigley, Tonko, and Welch on January 24, 2019. H.R. 762 
passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on March 5, 
2019.
    In the 115th Congress, Senators Collins, Warner, Shaheen, 
Portman, and Merkley introduced similar legislation, S. 383, on 
February 15, 2017. Senator Warren was added as a cosponsor on 
June 14, 2017. The measure was included in S. 385, the Energy 
Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (Cal. 73), and 
slightly modified as section 1103 in S. 1460, the Energy and 
Natural Resources Act of 2017 (Cal. 162).
    Similar legislation, H.R. 627, was introduced in the House 
of Representatives by Representatives Cartwright, Beyer, 
Blumenauer, Carter, Clark, Cohen, Connolly, Delaney, 
DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Grijalva, Hanabusa, Jackson Lee, Johnson, 
Kaptur, Keating, Knight, Lance, Lee, Lieu, Loebsack, Lowenthal, 
Matsui, Mullin, Norton, Olson, Peters, Pingree, Pocan, Polis, 
Quigley, Radewagen, Rice, Schakowsky, Schiff, Scott, Scott, 
Serrano, Shea-Porter, Slaughter, Speier, Stewart, Tonko, 
Tsongas, and Welch on January 24, 2017. The Energy and Commerce 
Committee ordered H.R. 627 reported on June 7, 2017 (H. Rept. 
115-171). H.R. 627 was passed by the House of Representatives 
by voice vote on June 12, 2017.
    In the 114th Congress, Senators Collins, Warner, Ayotte, 
and Merkley introduced similar legislation, S. 523, on February 
12, 2015. Senator Shaheen was added as a cosponsor on May 5, 
2015. The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a 
hearing on S. 523 on April 30, 2015 (S. Hrg. 114-166). The 
measure was included in S. 2012, the Energy Policy 
Modernization Act of 2016, which the Senate passed, as amended, 
on April 20, 2016.
    Similar legislation, H.R. 756, was introduced in the House 
of Representatives by Representatives Cartwright, Clark, 
Connolly, Conyers, Delaney, Eshoo, Esty, Gibson, Hastings, 
Himes, Honda, Joyce, Kelly, Kuster, Lance, Langevin, Loebsack, 
Lowenthal, Mullin, Norton, Peters, Pocan, Polis, Quigley, Ruiz, 
Schiff, Sires, Speier, Stewart, Tonko, Tsongas, Van Hollen, 
Vela, and Welch on February 5, 2015. H.R. 756 was passed by the 
House of Representatives by voice vote on December 6, 2016. The 
measure was included in S. 720, the Energy Savings and 
Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2015 (Cal. 210).
    In the 113th Congress, Senators Udall and Collins 
introduced similar legislation, S. 1084, on June 3, 2013. 
Senator Schatz was added as a cosponsor on July 8, 2013. The 
Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on S. 1084 on June 25, 
2013 (S. Hrg. 113-70). Identical language was also included in 
S. 2074 and S. 2262, both introduced by Senators Shaheen, 
Portman, Ayotte, Bennet, Collins, Coons, Franken, Hoeven, 
Isakson, Landrieu, Manchin, Murkowski, Warner, and Wicker on 
February 27, 2014 and April 28, 2014, respectively. Cloture on 
the motion to end debate on S. 2262 was not agreed to in the 
Senate by a yea-nay vote of 55-36 on May 12, 2014.
    Companion legislation, H.R. 4092, was introduced in the 
House of Representatives by Representatives Cartwright, Clark, 
Connolly, Delaney, Grayson, Holt, Honda, Larson, Loebsack, 
Lowenthal, Mullin, Peters, Pocan, Price, Sablan, Schiff, Shea-
Porter, Sires, and Welch on February 26, 2014. H.R. 4092 was 
passed by the House of Representatives by voice vote on June 
23, 2014.
    In the 112th Congress, Senators Udall and Collins 
introduced a similar bill, S. 828, on April 14, 2011.
    In the 111th Congress, Senators Udall, Collins, Burris, 
Merkley, Murray, and Tester introduced a similar bill, S. 3364, 
on May 13, 2010. Senator Lincoln was added as a cosponsor on 
June 22, 2010.
    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resource met in open 
business session on July 16, 2019, and ordered S. 253 favorably 
reported, as amended.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on July 16, 2019, by a majority voice 
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 
253, if amended as described herein. Senator Lee asked to be 
recorded as voting no.

                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

    During its consideration of S. 253, the Committee adopted 
an amendment. The amendment expanded the required review of 
existing Federal energy efficiency programs and financing 
mechanisms to include identification of any programs that are 
duplicative.
    In addition, pursuant to rule 7(d) of the Committee's rule, 
the vote to report the measure authorized correction of section 
2(a)(1)(D) to reflect the fact that the Office of Indian 
Education Programs within the Bureau of Indian Affairs was 
renamed and established as a separate Bureau of Indian 
Education in 2006.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 sets forth the short title of the bill.

Sec. 2. Coordination of energy retrofitting assistance for schools

    Section 2(a) defines relevant terms. The term ``school'' is 
broadly defined to include nonprofit elementary or secondary 
school; an institution of higher education; a school of the 
defense dependents' education system; a school operated by the 
Bureau of Indian Education; a tribally controlled school; and a 
Tribal College or University.
    Subsection (b) designates the DOE's EERE as the lead agency 
for coordinating and disseminating information about existing 
Federal energy efficiency programs to schools.
    Subsection (c) describes the requirements of coordination 
and outreach under subsection (b), including: a review of 
existing Federal programs and financing mechanisms, including 
an identification of programs that are duplicative; 
establishing a Federal cross-departmental collaborative 
coordination, education, and outreach effort to streamline 
communication about relevant programs to schools; providing 
technical assistance to states, local educational agencies, and 
schools; developing an online resource website with contact 
information for relevant technical assistance and support staff 
in EERE; and establishing a process of recognition for schools 
that successfully implement energy efficiency projects.
    Subsection (d) requires a report within 180 days of 
enactment describing the implementation of the legislation.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The following estimate of the costs of this measure have 
been provided by the Congressional Budget Office:


[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    S. 253 would designate the Department of Energy as the lead 
agency to coordinate and disseminate information on existing 
federal programs that aim to help initiate, develop, and 
finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and retrofit 
projects in schools.
    Using information about the cost of similar efforts, CBO 
estimates that implementing S. 253 would cost $2 million over 
the 2020-2024 period. Any spending would be subject to the 
availability of appropriated funds. Those costs would stem from 
coordinating and collaborating among federal agencies, 
providing technical assistance to states, and creating an 
online resource for schools. CBO estimates that the department 
would need three new employees to carry out these duties, at an 
annual cost of about $500,000.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Madeleine Fox. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 253. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of S. 253, as ordered reported.

                   CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

    S. 253, as ordered reported, does not contain any 
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, 
or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The Committee did not request executive views on S. 253.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by S. 253 as ordered reported.

                                  [all]