(a) All funds from loan repayments and interest that become due and payable for loans made by the commission pursuant to an agriculture energy assistance program shall be deposited in the Energy Technologies Research, Development, and Demonstration Account, and shall be available for loans and technical assistance pursuant to this section, upon appropriation in the Budget Act. Up to 20 percent of the annual appropriation may be available for technical assistance.
(b) Loans made pursuant to this section shall be for the purchase of equipment and services for agriculture energy efficiency and development demonstration projects, including, but not limited to, production of methane or ethanol, use of wind, photovoltaics, and other sources of energy for irrigation pumping, application of load management conservation techniques, improvements in water pumping and pressurization techniques, and conservation tillage techniques.
(c) The loans shall contain terms that provide for a repayment period of not more than seven years and for interest at a rate that is not less than 2 percent below the rate earned by moneys in the Pooled Money Investment Account.
(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 1046, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2001.)