CHAPTER 2.7. Energy Conservation in Public Buildings [15814.10. - 15814.29.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 2.7.

in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.10. Section 15814.10.

To help implement the policy set forth in Section 25008 of the Public Resources Code, the board may develop energy and water conservation and cogeneration and alternative energy and water supply sources at state facilities in accordance with this chapter. The intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter is to provide a mix of financing options for the development of cost saving state energy and water conservation projects. It is further the intent of the Legislature that, prior to using revenue bonds, the board consider other financing options available and the effect of the bond issuance on the bond market.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.11. Section 15814.11.

For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Public building” means a public building as defined in Section 15802, and includes the cogeneration and alternative energy equipment, water conservation equipment, and conservation measures which the board is authorized by this chapter to acquire and construct. “Public Building” also means any publicly funded school that includes kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, or any portion of those grades, provided that publicly funded schools that include kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, shall be authorized to finance only conservation measures and water conservation equipment as defined in subdivisions (e) and (g). (b) “Energy service contract” means a contract entered into by the board or any other state agency with any person, including, but not limited to, an individual, company, corporation, partnership, state agency, or other entity or group of entities, pursuant to which the person will provide electrical or thermal energy or water or water conservation or energy conservation measures. (c) “Cogeneration equipment” means equipment for cogeneration, as defined in Section 216.6 of the Public Utilities Code. (d) “Alternative energy equipment” means equipment for the production or conversion of energy from alternative sources, including, but not limited to, solar, biomass, wind, geothermal, hydroelectricity under 30 megawatts, or any other source of energy or water, the efficient use of which will reduce the use of fossil or nuclear fuels or water from established sources of supply. (e) “Conservation measures” means equipment, maintenance, meters, load management techniques and equipment, or other measures to reduce energy or water use or make for a more efficient use of energy or water. (f) “State agency” means any state agency, board, department or commission, including, but not limited to, the entities specified in Section 15814.12, and any school district as defined in Section 80 of the Education Code. (g) “Water conservation equipment” means any device or modification that reduces water use from established water sources.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.12. Section 15814.12.

(a) Without obtaining the authorization required by Section 15808, the board may acquire, and engage in the construction of, cogeneration equipment, alternative energy equipment, or conservation measures, and any combination thereof, and enter into energy service contracts, at any structure, building, facility, site, or work used, owned or hereafter acquired by the state agency, including, but not limited to, the facilities of the California State University and Colleges, the Department of General Services, state prisons, hospitals, and other agencies and the community colleges, but only with the consent of the state agency. (b) No cogeneration equipment or alternative energy equipment or water conservation equipment shall be acquired or constructed, and no energy service contract shall be entered into, by the board unless it determines that the anticipated cost to the state agency purchasing thermal or electrical energy or water provided by the equipment or under an energy service contract has been found through life-cycle cost analysis to be cost effective over the life of the equipment installed or over the term of the energy service contract. Equipment, conservation measures, or energy service contracts shall be anticipated to provide cost savings to the state during the useful life of the equipment or conservation measures under Section 14684, Sections 14710 to 14713, inclusive, or Section 15814.30 of this code, under Section 25008 of the Public Resources Code, or under Section 388 of the Public Utilities Code. (c) Alternatively, the board may execute agreements to finance the construction of cogeneration equipment, alternative energy equipment, water conservation equipment, or conservation measures, and any combination thereof, by the state agency, including the University of California, to be owned by the state agency, in exchange for repayment of the financing and all costs and expenses related thereto from revenues resulting from sales of electricity or thermal energy or water from the facilities and measures or from funding which otherwise would have been used for purchase of electricity, water, and thermal energy required by the state agency but which is derived from the facilities and measures. (d) This section shall not prohibit, limit, or supersede more stringent green building requirements for any structure, building, facility, site, or work.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.13. Section 15814.13.

The board may contract to sell or exchange electricity produced by cogeneration equipment and alternative energy equipment acquired by the board to or with any investor-owned utility or municipal utility or state agency, at those rates and upon those terms that are approved by the board. Any contract may provide for a commitment of firm electrical capacity. The board may also contract to sell or exchange water or thermal energy produced by cogeneration or alternative energy equipment or water conservation equipment acquired by the board to or with any investor-owned utility or municipal utility, state agency, or any other person, at those rates and upon those terms that are approved by the board. This electricity, water, and thermal energy may be sold to or exchanged with nonstate purchasers only if the board determines that these sales or exchanges will increase the economic benefit to the state. The board may contract to provide conservation services through the use of conservation measures to any state agency at those rates and upon those terms that are approved by the board.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.14. Section 15814.14.

(a) Any state agency may enter into a contract with the board for the purchase or exchange of thermal or electrical energy or water, or to acquire conservation services through the use of conservation measures, for a term not exceeding 35 years, at those rates and upon those terms that are approved by the agency and the board. (b) The Department of General Services, with the consent of the state agency having jurisdiction over the property, or any other state agency with the approval of the Department of General Services, may lease as lessor for terms of up to 35 years any structure, building, facility, work, or land, owned or acquired by the agency, to any person, including the board, to permit the board to enter into an energy service contract with that person, or to permit the board to undertake other projects authorized under this chapter, at those rates and upon those terms that may be approved by the state agency and the board.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.16. Section 15814.16.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the amount necessary to pay monthly for electrical or thermal energy or water or conservation measures for any state agency under an energy service contract, or to pay for conservation measures or electrical or thermal energy or water received by any state agency from cogeneration or alternative energy equipment authorized to be constructed or acquired under this part or Part 10.5 (commencing with Section 15750), is hereby appropriated each fiscal year payable from the fund in the State Treasury from which an agency derives its appropriation for support, and shall become available only if the payments are due during a period that the state is operating without funds appropriated by the Budget Act for that fiscal year or if the amount required to pay the charges has not been included in the Budget Act for that fiscal year and the Department of Finance certifies to the Controller that sufficient funds are available for the support of the agency for these services. Also, in order for the appropriation to be available, the board shall certify that the payments for the year in question are anticipated to be less than would result from the purchase of electrical or thermal energy or water avoided by purchases under this part or Part 10.5 (commencing with Section 15750). This appropriation shall be inoperative as to any facility that is transferred to the jurisdiction of the Department of General Services or another state agency pursuant to Section 15814.17 or 15816, to any facility transferred to a state agency pursuant to a joint powers agreement, or to any facility the title of which has vested in the Regents of the University of California, the Trustees of the California State University, the Board of Governors of the California Maritime Academy, or any community college district pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 15816.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.17. Section 15814.17.

Notwithstanding Section 15816, the public buildings acquired or constructed by the board pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 15814.12 shall remain under the jurisdiction of, and shall be operated and maintained by, the board until the board determines that the revenues, rentals, and receipts therefrom are no longer required to enable the board to properly perform the duties authorized by subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 15814.12. Thereafter, each such public building may be placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of General Services pursuant to Section 15816 or, if the facility served is under the jurisdiction of another state agency, under that agency.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.18. Section 15814.18.

The board shall employ the Energy Assessments Program of the Department of General Services to assist the board in performing its duties, including the making of recommendations as to projects to be undertaken by the board and preparing the annual report described in Section 15814.19. The board shall employ such other persons as are necessary to enable it properly to perform the duties imposed upon it by this chapter when services cannot be provided by the Department of General Services.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.19. Section 15814.19.

The board shall publish and transmit to the Legislature an annual report, within four months after the end of each fiscal year, describing the activities of the board during that year.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.20. Section 15814.20.

The board shall not enter into leases and energy service contracts authorized under this chapter sooner than 15 days after notification in writing of the necessity therefor has been submitted to the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the chairpersons of the fiscal committees of each house, or sooner than whatever lesser time the chairperson of the joint committee, or his or her designee, may in each instance determine. At the request of the chairperson of the joint committee, the joint committee may hold a hearing within 15 days of receipt of the notification. If a hearing is held, the affected agencies shall be provided all information available to the joint committee at least 10 days in advance of the hearing. In the event that a hearing is conducted, the joint committee may recommend to the board approval, modification, or rejection of leases or energy service contracts.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.21. Section 15814.21.

(a) In addition to revenues calculated for apportionment to community college districts pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 84750) of Chapter 5 of Part 50 of the Education Code, if a community college capital outlay project has been approved by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall apportion state aid equal to the amount necessary for each district to meet its energy service contract obligation determined pursuant to this chapter. It is the intent of the Legislature that these funds be appropriated annually as a part of the state’s general apportionment funds for the community colleges. (b) If a community college district enters into an energy service contract with the State Public Works Board pursuant to this chapter, the district, as a part of that energy service contract, shall authorize the chancellor and Controller to withhold from its annual apportionment the amount of funds necessary to satisfy its annual energy service contract obligation to the State Public Works Board. The agreement shall include authorization to withhold the additional apportionment amount and the amount determined to be the district’s proportional share of the energy service contract obligation as determined pursuant to subdivision (a). The authorization shall have precedence over other expenditure obligations of the district. The chancellor shall certify the amounts, by district, to the Controller. The Controller shall withhold the amount so reported for each district and, acting on behalf of each district, shall transfer the appropriate amount from Section B of the State School Fund to the State Public Works Board for the purpose of payment of the debt service obligation for the bonds sold to finance the projects.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.22. Section 15814.22.

The Department of General Services, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and other state agencies and departments, shall develop a multiyear plan, to be updated biennially, with the goal of exploiting all practicable and cost-effective energy efficiency measures in state facilities. The department shall coordinate plan implementation efforts, and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature to achieve energy efficiency goals for state facilities.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.23. Section 15814.23.

The Department of General Services or each state agency having jurisdiction shall ensure that all new state buildings are designed and constructed to meet at least the minimum energy efficiencies specified in standards adopted by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission pursuant to Section 25402 of the Public Resources Code. In the design and construction of new state buildings, the department or other responsible state agency shall also consider additional state-of-the-art energy efficiency design measures and equipment, beyond those required by the standards, that are cost-effective and feasible.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.24. Section 15814.24.

(a) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall apportion state aid equal to the amount necessary for each school district to meet its energy service contract obligation determined pursuant to this chapter. It is the intent of the Legislature that these funds be appropriated annually as a part of the state’s general apportionment funds for kindergarten through grade 12 schools. (b) If a school district enters into an energy service contract with the Public Works Board pursuant to this chapter, the district shall, as a part of that energy service contract, authorize the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Controller to withhold from its annual apportionment the amount of funds necessary to satisfy its annual energy service contract obligation to the Public Works Board. The agreement shall include authorization to withhold the additional apportionment amount and the amount determined to be the district’s proportional share of the energy service contract obligation as determined pursuant to subdivision (a). The superintendent shall certify the amounts, by county, to the Controller. The Controller shall withhold the amount so reported for each county and shall, acting on behalf of each county, transfer the appropriate amount from Section A of the State School Fund to the Public Works Board for the purpose of payment of the debt service obligation for the bonds sold to finance the projects. Any payment made from an apportionment by the Controller pursuant to this section shall be deemed to be an allocation to a school district for purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution for purposes of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 41200) of Part 24 of the Education Code.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.25. Section 15814.25.

Energy conservation measures eligible for financing by kindergarten through grade 12 schools shall be limited to those measures recommended pursuant to an energy audit provided by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission under its existing authority.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.26. Section 15814.26.

A local government that enters into an energy service contract with the State Public Works Board pursuant to this chapter shall do both of the following: (a) Include in the contract specific provisions to meet its energy service contract obligation determined pursuant to this chapter. (b) Authorize the Controller, as part of the energy service contract, to withhold sufficient payments, from specific moneys that it otherwise would receive from the state, in order to meet its annual energy service contract obligation determined pursuant to this chapter, if the provisions of subdivision (a) are for any reason insufficient to meet that annual energy service contract obligation.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.27. Section 15814.27.

If a local government enters into an energy service contract with the State Public Works Board pursuant to this chapter, its governing body shall annually budget and appropriate the amounts payable under that energy service contract during that fiscal year. If the governing body fails or neglects to make the appropriations, the officer of the local government with responsibility for disbursing its funds shall transfer, from any money available in any fund of the treasury of that local government, the sums necessary to meet its energy service contract obligation determined pursuant to this chapter, and this transfer shall have the same force and effect as it would have had if the required appropriation had been made by the governing body of the local government.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.28. Section 15814.28.

The department shall, no later than March 1, 2009, and biennially thereafter, make the recommendations required in Section 15814.22, and report on all of the following for projects under its jurisdiction: (a) The progress made toward implementing energy efficiency measures in state facilities. (b) The most common energy efficiency measures being implemented. (c) The obstacles preventing further implementation of energy efficiency measures. (d) How current efforts and ideas can be incorporated into the Governor’s five-year infrastructure plan described in Section 13102.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 15814.29. Section 15814.29.

Notwithstanding subdivision (f) of Section 15814.11, for the purposes of this chapter “state agency” also shall include any local government as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 5921.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026