Charles F. Baxter

As a consequence of the National Energy Strategy, which was conceived by the Bush Administration, Congress enacted and the President signed into law, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 on October 24, 1992, (EPACT 1992).

Of the thirty-three titles of EPACT, Title I – Energy Efficiency, is the longest and most comprehensive section. In contrast with the goals of the International Lighting in Controlled Environments Workshop, this Section 103, Energy Efficient Lighting and Building Centers of EPACT, provides and opportunity for the nation to design, test and implement the most advanced, efficient lighting systems.

The purpose of Section 103 is to encourage energy efficiency in buildings through the establishment of regional centers to promote energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling, and building design.

EPACT provides grants to nonprofit institutions, or to consortiums that may include nonprofit institutions, State and local governments, universities, and utilities, to establish or enhance one regional building energy efficiency center in each of the 10 regions served by a Department of Energy regional support office.

Each regional center established is permitted to accomplish the following:

Provide information, training, and technical assistance to building professionals such as architects, designers, engineers, contractors, and building code officials, on building energy efficiency methods and technologies, including lighting, heating and cooling, and passive solar;

Operate an out reach program to inform such building professionals of the benefits and opportunities of energy efficiency and the services of the center;

Provide displays demononstrating building energy efficiency methods and technologies, such as lighting, windows, and heating and cooling equipment;

Coordinate its activities and programs with other institutions within the region, such as State and local governments, utilities, and educational institutions in order to support their efforts to promote building energy efficiency;

Serve as a clearinghouse to insure that information about new building energy efficiency technologies, including case studies of successful application, is disseminated to end-users in the region;

Study the building energy needs of the region and make available region-specific energy efficiency information to facilitate the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency improvements;

Assist educational institutions in establishing building energy efficiency engineering and technical programs and curricula;

Evaluate the performance of the center in promoting building energy efficiency;

Any nonprofit institution or consortium interested in receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form and containing such information as the Secretary may require. A lighting or building energy center in existence on the date of enactment of this section which is owned and operated by a nonprofit institution or consortium as described in the subsection above shall be eligible for a grant under this section.

SELECTION CRITERIA: The Secretary shall select recipients of grants under this section on the basis of the following criteria:

The capability of the grant recipient to establish a board of directors for the regional center composed of representatives from utilities, State and local governments, building trade and professional organizations, manufacturers, and nonprofit energy and environmental organizations.

The demonstrated or potential resources available to the grant recipient to promote building energy efficiency by carrying out the activities specified in the permitted activities.

The activities which the grant recipient proposes to carry out under the grant.

MATCHING FUNDS: the Federal share of grant under this section shall be on more than 50 percent of the cost of establishing, and no more than 25 percent of the cost of operation of the regional center.

No grant may be made under this section in any fiscal year unless the recipient of such grant enters into such agreements with Secretary, as the Secretary may require, to ensure that such recipient will provide the necessary non-Federal contributions. Such non-Federal contributions may be provided by utilities, State and local governments, nonlocal governments, nonprofit institutions, foundation, corporations and other non-Federal entities.

TASK FORCE - The Secretary shall establish a task force to :

    Advise the Secretary on activities to be carried out by grant recipients; Review and evaluate programs carried out by grant recipients;

    Make recommendations regarding the building energy efficiency center grant programs.

Baxter, C.F. 1994. The energy policy act of 1992, p 191-193. In: T.W.Tibbitts (ed.). International Lighting in Controlled Environments Workshop, NASA-CP-95-3309. 

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