§13458 Energy Efficient Lighting and Building Centers

Summary

The Secretary must make grants to nonprofit groups or to teams that can include nonprofits, state and local governments, universities, and utilities to set up or strengthen one regional building energy efficiency center in each of the 10 Department of Energy regions. Grants had to be made within 18 months after October 24, 1992, and centers that already existed on that date and met the ownership rules could get a grant. Each center can give information, training, and technical help to architects, engineers, contractors, and code officials; run outreach and displays on efficient lighting, heating, cooling, windows, and passive solar; share new technology and case studies; study regional building needs; help schools create related programs; and evaluate its own performance. Applicants must send an application to the Secretary. Winners are chosen based on their ability to form a board with broad representation, available resources, ability to run the center activities, and the specific work they propose. Federal grants will cover no more than 50% of start-up costs and no more than 25% of operating costs. Recipients must secure non-federal funding or in-kind support from utilities, governments, nonprofits, foundations, corporations, or others. The Secretary will set up a roughly 20-member task force of experts to advise, review, and recommend; members serve three-year terms, are unpaid but get travel expenses, elect a chair, and meet twice a year or when called. Up to $10,000,000 is authorized for each of fiscal years 1994, 1995, and 1996.