HB 2496A Green technology in state buildings

This bill reduces green technology requirement to 10% in construction of state buildings and allows battery storage if it generates electricity. Defines “total contract price” to include and add all subcontracts for computing value to be green technology.

Fiscal Responsibility
Reducing requirement to 10% but then adding subcontracts to the total price actually increases the green technology requirement, which increases the cost to taxpayers. Excludes direct costs of seismic retrofitting from “total contract price.”

Limited Government
Adds battery storage to definition of “green energy technology” when part of a system that generates electricity from solar or geothermal energy on the site of the public building. Adds definition of “total contract price.” Adds a contracting agency to determines green energy technology as part of the construction, reconstruction or major renovation of a public building, or as an alternative if the contracting agency determines that green energy technology is not appropriate for the public building, may expend all or a portion of the amount for improving energy use efficiency in the public building; including woody biomass energy technology as part of construction; or demonstrate the need for additional emissions control technologies. The contracting agency may conclude that the green energy technology is appropriate if the total solar resource fraction exceeds 75 percent. Allow pooling with other contracting agencies.