South Carolina § 48-52-620 - State agencies and school districts to submit energy conservation plans and reports; metering of state buildings; annual compilation of reports.

§ 48-52-620. State agencies and school districts to submit energy conservation plans and reports; metering of state buildings; annual compilation of reports.

(A)(1) Each state agency and public school district shall submit for approval to the State Energy Office an energy conservation plan for buildings in use on July 1, 2008, with a goal to reduce energy consumption by at least one percent annually for five consecutive years beginning July 1, 2008. The plan also must have a goal of ultimately reducing energy consumption for buildings in use on July 1, 2008, by twenty percent by July 1, 2020, relative to year 2000 levels. An agency shall implement all available cost-effective energy-saving measures to pursue these goals. In determining whether an energy-saving method is cost effective, an agency should primarily consider the measure's cost effectiveness over a five-year period rather than within one fiscal year. The State Energy Office shall provide agency assistance and information needed to help meet these goals.

(2) The provisions of this section do not apply to a building designed, constructed or rehabilitated, and maintained in compliance with the Energy Independence and Sustainable Construction Act of 2007.

(B) In order to monitor energy consumption, the State Energy Office must determine those state buildings that require individual metering. Metering must be installed by the agency, the cost of which must be borne by the agency responsible for the utility bill for the building.

(C)(1) Each state agency and public school district annually shall submit energy conservation reports in the manner and at the times required by the State Energy Office.

(2) An agency that does not attain the annual reduction goals required by this section shall include in its report a detailed justification that it implemented all available, cost-effective energy conservation methods.

(3) An agency that submits a report indicating it has implemented all available, cost-effective energy-saving measures as contemplated in subsection (A) is exempt from these reporting requirements for a year in which a subsequent report would indicate no status change. The agency must notify the State Energy Office that the agency is exempt under this item.

(D) Each public school district and state agency shall submit to the State Energy Office and each state agency shall include in its annual report to the State Department of Administration:

(1) activities undertaken implementing its energy conservation plan; and

(2) progress made in achieving its energy conservation goals.

(E) The State Energy Office shall compile the reports submitted pursuant to subsection (C) to be submitted annually, no later than December thirty-first, to the General Assembly. The State Energy Office shall provide suggested formats for plans and goals that must be submitted pursuant to subsection (A), reporting forms for reports required by subsection (C), and all technical assistance necessary for state agencies and school districts to satisfy the requirements of these subsections.

(F) For purposes of this article:

(1) "Energy consumption" includes, but is not limited to, electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and propane. Energy consumption must be measured using BTU's for each gross square foot.

(2) "State agency" means a state government agency subject to the procurement code. For state institutions of higher learning, this definition only applies to those facilities greater than ten thousand gross square feet and does not include those facilities whose function is defined as athletics or research. For state technical colleges, this definition does not apply to those facilities whose primary function is to provide technical training and education in programs where significant energy consumption is necessary for the conduct of the academic program.

HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 449, Part II, SECTION 1; 2008 Act No. 318, SECTION 1, eff June 11, 2008.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, SECTION 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

Effect of Amendment

The 2008 amendment rewrote subsections (A) and (C) and added subsection (F).