2013 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 16a - Planning and Energy Policy
Chapter 298 - Energy Utilization and Conservation
Section 16a-37u - Planning and managing energy use in state-owned and leased buildings. Reduction in energy consumption. Connection of state-owned and leased buildings to district heating and cooling systems.

(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall be responsible for planning and managing energy use in state-owned and leased buildings and shall establish a program to maximize the efficiency with which energy is utilized in such buildings. The commissioner shall exercise this authority by (1) preparing and implementing annual and long-range plans, with timetables, establishing goals for reducing state energy consumption and, based on energy audits, specific objectives for state agencies to meet the performance standards adopted under section 16a-38; (2) coordinating federal and state energy conservation resources and activities, including but not limited to, those required to be performed by other state agencies under this chapter; and (3) monitoring energy use and costs by budgeted state agencies on a monthly basis.

(b) On or before July 1, 2012, the commissioner, in consultation with the Department of Administrative Services, shall develop a plan to reduce energy use in buildings owned or leased by the state by January 1, 2013, by at least ten per cent from its current consumption and by January 1, 2018, by an additional ten per cent. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, (1) assessing current energy consumption for all fuels used in state-owned buildings, (2) identifying not less than one hundred such buildings with the highest aggregate energy costs in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, (3) establishing targets for conducting energy audits of such buildings, and (4) determining which energy efficiency measures are most cost-effective for such buildings. Such plan shall provide for the financing of such measures through the use of energy-savings performance contracting, pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, bonding or other means.

(c) Any state agency or municipality may enter into an energy-savings performance contract, as defined in section 16a-37x, with a qualified energy service provider, as defined in said section 16a-37x, to produce utility cost savings, as defined in said section 16a-37x, or operation and maintenance cost savings, as defined in said section 16a-37x. Any energy-savings measure, as defined in said section 16a-37x, implemented under such contracts shall comply with state building code and local building requirements. Any state agency or municipality may implement other capital improvements in conjunction with an energy-savings performance contract as long as the measures that are being implemented to achieve utility and operation and maintenance cost savings and other capital improvements are in the aggregate cost effective over the term of the contract.

(d) On or before January 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on the status of its implementation of the plan and provide recommendations regarding energy use in state buildings to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy. Any such report may be submitted electronically.

(e) Not later than January fifth, annually, the commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy planning and activities. The report shall (1) indicate the total number of energy audits and technical assistance audits of state-owned and leased buildings, (2) summarize the status of the energy conservation measures recommended by such audits, (3) summarize all energy conservation measures implemented during the preceding twelve months in state-owned and leased buildings which have not had such audits, (4) analyze the availability and allocation of funds to implement the measures recommended under subdivision (2) of this subsection, (5) list each budgeted agency, as defined in section 4-69, which occupies a state-owned or leased building and has not cooperated with the Commissioner of Administrative Services and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection in conducting energy and technical assistance audits of such building and implementing operational and maintenance improvements recommended by such audits and any other energy conservation measures required for such building by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, (6) summarize all life-cycle cost analyses prepared under section 16a-38 during the preceding twelve months, and summarize agency compliance with the life-cycle cost analyses, and (7) identify any state laws, regulations or procedures that impede innovative energy conservation and load management projects in state buildings. Any such report may be submitted electronically.

(f) The commissioner, in conjunction with the Department of Administrative Services, shall as soon as practicable and where cost-effective connect all state-owned buildings to a district heating and cooling system, where such heating and cooling system currently exists or where one is proposed. The commissioner, in conjunction with the Department of Administrative Services, shall prepare an annual report with the results of the progress in connecting state-owned buildings to such a heating and cooling system, the cost of such connection and any projected energy savings achieved through any such connection. The commissioner shall submit the report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy on or before January 1, 1993, and January first annually thereafter.

(g) The commissioner shall require each state agency to maximize its use of public service companies’ energy conservation and load management programs and to provide sites in its facilities for demonstration projects of highly energy efficient equipment, provided no such demonstration project impairs the functioning of the facility.

(h) The commissioner, in consultation with the Department of Administrative Services, shall establish energy efficiency standards for building space leased by the state on or after January 1, 2013.

(P.A. 81-376, S. 1, 11; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 81-13, S. 1, 3; P.A. 83-29, S. 1; 83-48, S. 1; P.A. 86-305, S. 3; P.A. 87-496, S. 74, 110; P.A. 88-220, S. 4, 11; P.A. 91-248, S. 10, 13; P.A. 92-138, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 11, 121; P.A. 03-132, S. 1; P.A. 04-236, S. 16; P.A. 11-51, S. 90; 11-80, S. 118; P.A. 13-298, S. 27.)

History: Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 81-13 deleted former Subsec. (a)(4), which required secretary to report energy conservation efforts and results by October first annually to governor and general assembly and added Subsec. (c) containing more detailed provisions re required annual reports; P.A. 83-29 changed deadline for report under Subsec. (c) from October first to January fifth, annually; P.A. 83-48 added Subsec. (c)(6), requiring the secretary to include in the report summaries of life-cycle cost analyses; P.A. 86-305 deleted Subsec. (a)(4) which had provided that the secretary shall determine for each state agency and institution, the amount of and expenditures for energy use during the last-completed fiscal year and estimates of such amounts and expenditures for the current and next fiscal years, and that such information shall be included in the governor’s budget document; P.A. 87-496 substituted “public works” for “administrative services” commissioner in Subsec. (c); P.A. 88-220 deleted former Subsec. (b) which contained obsolete temperature requirements for state-owned buildings, relettering Subsec. (c) as (b); P.A. 91-248 added Subsec. (b)(7) re identification of certain impediments to energy conservation in state buildings, added a new Subsec. (c) re connection of state-owned buildings to a district heating and cooling system and added Subsec. (d) re demonstration sites in state-owned facilities of highly energy efficient equipment; P.A. 92-138 amended Subsec. (c) to require connection of all state-owned buildings to a district heating and cooling system and to require report to be submitted annually; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change to Subsec. (c), effective June 24, 1998; P.A. 03-132 amended Subsec. (b)(6) to require that report summarize agency compliance with the life-cycle cost analyses, and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality in Subsecs. (a) and (c); P.A. 04-236 amended Subsec. (d) to make a technical change, effective June 8, 2004; P.A. 11-80 changed “Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management” and “secretary” to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” and “commissioner”, changed Commissioner and Department of Public Works to Commissioner and Department of Administrative Services, added new Subsec. (b) re plan to reduce energy use in state-owned or leased buildings, added new Subsec. (c) re energy-savings performance contracts, added new Subsec. (d) re report, redesignated existing Subsecs. (b) to (d) as Subsecs. (e) to (g) and added Subsec. (h) re energy efficiency standards for state-leased building space, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-298 amended Subsec. (c) to replace “state or local building codes” with “state building code and local building requirements”, amended Subsecs. (d) and (e) to add provisions re electronic submission of report, and amended Subsec. (e)(5) to replace “secretary” with “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management”, effective July 8, 2013.