SB452:

Local governments; additional powers, energy efficiency of buildings.

Bill Summary:

Powers of local governments; additional powers; energy efficiency of buildings. Requires the Board of Housing and Community Development to adopt optional building energy efficiency standards and allows localities to adopt and enforce these standards. The bill allows localities to require disclosure of energy use intensity (EUI) information to prospective buyers, lessees, and lenders at the point of sale, and to require an energy audit for the building prior to the completion of the sale if there is insufficient available data or upon request. The bill allows localities to implement energy benchmarking, requiring utilities to collect and report energy use data for covered buildings to owners, and to require utilities to maintain 12 months of aggregated data for any building with an active utility account. The bill permits localities to create a scorecard program using Energy Star Portfolio Manager and require owners to disclose data to it, subject to program guidelines. The bill allows localities to incentivize owners, operators, and agents of certain buildings to report EUI information and reduce EUI amounts. The bill allows localities to set EUI requirements for certain buildings and develop local incentive programs.