S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  9856

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              May 27, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Education

AN ACT establishing the school energy efficiency program

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative intent. At a cost annually of over  $1  billion
dollars  in  utility  costs,  the energy costs for public schools in New
York need to be addressed to reduce such escalating costs and  to  allow
for  a  redirection of such expenditures to improve academic performance
in our state. The legislature therefore finds that New York state should
conduct a review of the project approval process to determine  how  best
to expedite the start of construction and implementation of school ener-
gy  efficiency  projects. Currently, energy projects are reviewed by the
same group at the New York  state  education  department  that  is  also
responsible for reviewing critical school district capital projects. The
process  review  should focus on how a higher priority might be given to
energy  efficiency  projects  while  at  the  same  time  ensuring  that
mission-critical capital projects are not delayed. Pursuing all cost-ef-
fective  energy  efficiency  in New York state schools will require that
many more projects will need to be approved annually than have ever been
in the past.  A  streamlined,  transparent,  and  efficient  review  and
approval  process  is  a  necessary  component of an increased effort to
promote energy efficiency projects in schools.
  S 2. School energy efficiency  program.  1.  Establishment.  There  is
hereby  established  the  school  energy  efficiency program. Under this
program, the department shall construct a  proposal  to  streamline  the
approval  process  for  eligible  entities  pursuing the installation of
energy efficiency projects.
  2. Proposal requirements. The department through this program shall:
  a. demonstrate how energy efficiency project approval requests will be
processed separately from all other capital improvement applications;
  b. set a specific date for when the streamlined approval process shall
be in place; and

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD15379-01-4
              

A. 9856                             2

  c. determine if any  legislative  action  is  necessary  to  make  the
streamlined approval process operational.
  3.  Report.  The department shall report its findings, conclusions and
recommendations to the governor, majority leader of the senate  and  the
speaker of the assembly by January 1, 2016.
  4. Definitions. For purposes of this program the following terms shall
have the following meanings:
  a. "Department" shall mean the New York state education department.
  b.  "Eligible  entity"  shall  mean any public elementary or secondary
school located in New York state.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.