Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 91— - NATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION POLICY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VII— - ENERGY SAVINGS PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS › § 8287c
Defines key words used for federal energy and water projects. It explains who counts as a federal agency, what counts as energy savings, what an energy savings contract is, and what an energy or water conservation measure is. A federal agency is any U.S. government authority, whether or not another agency reviews it. Energy savings means lower costs for energy, water, or wastewater treatment from a contract baseline. It covers savings from buying or leasing equipment, better operation and maintenance, technical services, using cogeneration or heat recovery to make existing energy use more efficient (not for cogeneration that serves non‑Federal buildings), better water use, selling extra on‑site renewable or thermal energy when allowed by law, using incentives or credits, and any revenue from reduced use or better recycling. An energy savings contract is an agreement to design, buy, install, test, and, if needed, operate, maintain, and repair one or more energy or water measures at one or more locations; public buildings must follow the approval steps in section 3307 of title 40. An energy or water conservation measure is either an energy measure (see section 8259) or a life‑cycle cost‑effective water measure that improves efficiency through conservation, recycling, reuse, treatment, O&M improvements, retrofits, or similar activities, excluding work at Federal hydroelectric facilities.
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The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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Citation
42 U.S.C. § 8287c
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73