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1 | AN ACT concerning local government.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | Illinois Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Act.
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6 | Section 5. Definitions. | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | "GGCC" means the Green Governments Coordinating Council | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | created pursuant to the Green Governments Illinois Act. | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | "Eligible unit of local government" means a unit of local | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | government as defined by the federal Energy Efficiency and | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | Conservation Act of 2007, H.R.6. | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | "Secretary" means the United States Secretary of Energy. | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | Section 10. Findings. Pursuant to the federal Energy | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | Independence and Security Act of 2007, H.R.6, Title V, Subtitle | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | E (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants) | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | (hereinafter "H.R.6"), which became law on December 19, 2007, | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | the State and various units of local government are eligible to | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | apply for and receive grants of money to promote energy | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | efficiency and conservation under the "Energy Efficiency and | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | Conservation Block Grant Program". Of the federal funds | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | allocated, the law provides that 68% of the overall | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | appropriated funds shall go directly to the eligible units of |
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1 | local government who apply, and 28% of the funds shall go | ||||||
2 | directly to the eligible states that apply for the grants. | ||||||
3 | Section 15. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant | ||||||
4 | Act. | ||||||
5 | (a) The GGCC shall be the State governmental body | ||||||
6 | responsible for applying for and distributing any and all | ||||||
7 | energy efficiency and conservation grant money for which the | ||||||
8 | State is eligible in Illinois under the H.R.6 federal block | ||||||
9 | grant program. | ||||||
10 | (b) The GGCC shall assist any eligible unit of local | ||||||
11 | government within the State that seeks assistance in applying | ||||||
12 | for grant money appropriated under H.R.6 for the purpose of | ||||||
13 | promoting energy efficiency in those areas of local government. | ||||||
14 | (c) The GGCC shall compile and make publicly available a | ||||||
15 | list of all units of local government within the State that are | ||||||
16 | excluded under the H.R.6 definition of "eligible unit of local | ||||||
17 | government". | ||||||
18 | (d) The GGCC shall apply for any grants that the State is | ||||||
19 | eligible to receive under H.R.6 and shall distribute the grant | ||||||
20 | money that is received under H.R.6 to the appropriate State | ||||||
21 | agencies and State programs. Not less than 60% of this money | ||||||
22 | shall be used to provide subgrants to units of local government | ||||||
23 | in the State that are not eligible units of local government as | ||||||
24 | defined by H.R.6. These subgrants shall be provided no later | ||||||
25 | than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary approves a |
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1 | proposed energy efficiency and conservation strategy for | ||||||
2 | Illinois. | ||||||
3 | (e) The GGCC, as a group, shall make itself available to | ||||||
4 | the Secretary to comprise all or a part of the State and local | ||||||
5 | advisory committee to be established pursuant to H.R.6, and | ||||||
6 | shall make its best efforts to advise the Secretary regarding | ||||||
7 | the administration, implementation, and evaluation of programs | ||||||
8 | financed by the federal block grants distributed pursuant to | ||||||
9 | H.R.6 in Illinois. | ||||||
10 | (f) As soon as practical after the effective date of this | ||||||
11 | Act, the GGCC shall: | ||||||
12 | (1) Facilitate the modification of the State energy | ||||||
13 | conservation plan under Section 362 of the Energy Policy | ||||||
14 | and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6322) to establish | ||||||
15 | additional goals for increased energy efficiency and | ||||||
16 | conservation, in accordance with H.R.6; and | ||||||
17 | (2) With the cooperation of all relevant State | ||||||
18 | agencies, submit to the Secretary a proposed energy | ||||||
19 | efficiency and conservation strategy that establishes a | ||||||
20 | process for providing subgrants and includes a State plan | ||||||
21 | for the use of remaining funds. | ||||||
22 | (g) Any grant money received under this Act shall be used | ||||||
23 | to achieve the purposes of the program outlined in H.R.6, | ||||||
24 | including, but not limited to: | ||||||
25 | (1) development and implementation of an energy | ||||||
26 | efficiency and conservation strategy; |
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1 | (2) retaining technical consultant services to assist | ||||||
2 | the eligible entity in the development of the strategy; | ||||||
3 | (3) consulting residential and commercial building | ||||||
4 | energy audits; | ||||||
5 | (4) establishment of financial incentive programs for | ||||||
6 | energy efficiency improvements; | ||||||
7 | (5) development and implementation of programs to | ||||||
8 | conserve energy used in transportation; | ||||||
9 | (6) development and implementation of building codes | ||||||
10 | and inspection services to promote building energy | ||||||
11 | efficiency. | ||||||
12 | (h) No grant money received by GGCC or the receipt of which | ||||||
13 | was in any way facilitated by the GGCC shall be used in a | ||||||
14 | manner contrary to H.R.6. | ||||||
15 | (i) The GGCC shall make publicly available status reports | ||||||
16 | at least once per biennium describing the status of the | ||||||
17 | development and implementation of the energy efficiency and | ||||||
18 | conservation strategy of the State during the year and | ||||||
19 | including the State's specific energy efficiency and | ||||||
20 | conservation goals for subsequent years.
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21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
22 | becoming law.
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