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AB-18 Energy conservation: hospital efficiency program.(2001-2002)

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AB18:v96#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  May 29, 2001
Amended  IN  Senate  August 21, 2001
Amended  IN  Senate  September 05, 2001

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2001–2002 2nd Ext.

Assembly Bill
No. 18

Introduced  by  Assembly Member Goldberg

May 17, 2001

An act to add Chapter 5.7 (commencing with Section 25475) to Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, relating to energy conservation, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 18, as amended, Goldberg. Energy conservation: hospital efficiency program.
The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to administer specified laws with respect to energy conservation.
This bill would require the commission to establish a grant program to reduce peak load demand by nonprofit public and private hospitals using thermal energy storage technologies that reduce load consumption during peak demand periods. The bill would appropriate $20,000,000 from the General Fund to the commission to fund the grants. The bill would require that no grant be awarded to a for-profit hospital until all eligible nonprofit hospitals have been awarded grants.
This bill would declare that it would become operative only if, and to the extent that, the Director of Finance determines that an amount of unencumbered funds sufficient to fund all or part of the appropriation made by the bill will be available from funds reverting to the General Fund after March 31, 2002, pursuant to a specified statute.
The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Over 450 hospitals with approximately 2700 buildings are required to retrofit or rebuild those buildings to meet hospital seismic safety standards.
(b) Hospitals are currently in the process of developing the mandated seismic safety compliance plans due January 1, 2002.
(c) The state is in an energy crisis and should encourage hospitals to decrease peak load by incorporating energy efficient technologies as part of the seismic retrofit plans.

(d)The installation of thermal energy storage systems and other related technologies at hospitals can reduce peak load

(d) The installation of technologies at hospitals including, but not limited to, thermal energy storage systems, can reduce peak load consumption.

SEC. 2.

 Chapter 5.7 (commencing with Section 25475) is added to Division 15 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
CHAPTER  5.7. Hospital Efficiency Program

25475.
 (a) The commission shall establish a grant program to reduce peak load demand by public and private hospitals.
(b) Applications for the grants shall be made to the commission in a form and with the supporting material as may be prescribed by the commission.
(c) Applications shall be funded on a competitive basis.
(d) Any public or private hospital may apply to the commission for a grant to be used for thermal energy storage technologies that shift air-conditioning related energy consumption to off-peak periods, recover heat, or in some other manner can reduce load during peak demand periods. No grant shall be awarded to a for-profit hospital until all eligible nonprofit hospitals have been awarded grants.
(e) The amount of a grant shall be based on the projected average number of kilowatts reduced during peak demand periods.

25476.
 The commission shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The rules and regulations shall include provisions for the commission to audit, as determined by the commission, grants made pursuant to this chapter.

SEC. 3.

 The sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission for the purpose of awarding grants pursuant to Chapter 5.7 (commencing with Section 25475) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code.

SEC. 4.

 This act shall become operative only if, and to the extent that, the Director of Finance determines that an amount of unencumbered funds sufficient to fund all or part of the appropriation made by Section 3 of this act will be available from funds reverting to the General Fund after March 31, 2002, pursuant to Section 11 of Chapter 7 of the Statutes of the 2001–02 First Extraordinary Session.

SEC. 5.

 This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order for hospitals to include the energy efficient technology specified in this act in the seismic retrofit plans that hospitals are required to report by January 1, 2002, thereby protecting the public health and safety with regard to the energy crisis, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.