3E Relating to energy; creating programs for government energy conservation investments; creating the energy improvement financing program for state and local governments to improve energy efficiency in buildings and facilities; defining certain terms; specifying certain duties and the authority of the commissioner of commerce; providing for program eligibility and voluntary participation; authorizing financing agreements and specifying certain qualifying energy improvement projects; requiring a report to the legislature; providing for direction to conform state economic development policies with state environmental policy; defining the term green economy to include certain products and processes, methods, technologies or services; requiring the commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) and the job skills partnership board to cooperate to promote job training to complement green economy business development; removing rulemaking requirements for certain loan and grant programs; requiring and providing for the commissioner to develop, implement and administer a microenergy loan program as part of the local renewable energy initiative to finance small scale community renewable energy projects or to provide money to individuals or small businesses for assistance with costs of small scale renewable energy installations; defining certain terms; authorizing supplemental cash flow agreements for local governments; authorizing loan participation with the housing finance agency (HFA); specifying certain duties of the commissioner relating to publishing loan proposal requests; appropriating money to the commissioner to make microenergy loans; authorizing the issuance of microenergy loan revenue bonds and requiring a report to legislature; extending the time limit and modifying the terms of guaranteed energy savings contracts under the uniform municipal contracting law; requiring the commissioner to report to the commissioner of education on approval of certain school district projects, sunset; instructing the pollution control agency and the office of energy security within the department of commerce in collaboration with the clean energy resource teams (CERT's) to submit a report to the legislature making recommendations to expand eligibility for receiving the green star award, specifying report components; creating the green jobs task force to advise and assist the governor and legislature regarding activities to transform the economy of the state and develop a statewide action plan; specifying membership and duties, sunset provision; requiring a statewide action plan to be presented to the legislature and the governor by a certain date; repealing a prior appropriation provision relating to petroleum violation escrow funds
(Ch. 356, 2008)