Energy Policy Act of 1992

Summary

National Energy Efficiency Act of 1991 - Title I: Buildings - Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (the Act) to require the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to establish a program to provide technical assistance to States and localities to update energy efficiency codes and standards for residential and commercial buildings. Requires each State to certify to the Secretary that: (1) it has reviewed and updated its residential and commercial building codes affecting energy efficiency, including a demonstration that such codes meet or exceed the requirements of the Council of American Building Officials' Model Energy Code and the Department of Energy's Commercial Building Standards; and (2) at least 75 percent of the new residential and commercial buildings constructed in such State meet the updated code requirements. Requires the Secretary to establish a task force of representatives from the building construction industry and financial community to advise in the development of the program. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to promulgate procedures to be used by States, local governments, and others to assign energy efficiency ratings to residential buildings. Requires the Secretary to provide technical assistance to any such entities using the energy efficiency rating systems. Directs the Secretary to report to the President and the Congress on such procedures and technical assistance. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Federal Energy Management - Declares it is the purpose of the Act to promote the conservation and efficient use of energy and renewable energy sources by the Federal Government. Requires, to the maximum extent practicable, the installation of energy conservation measures with payback periods of less than ten years (currently, 25 years) in all Federal buildings no later than January 1, 2000. Sets forth specified Federal agency requirements with respect to such measures. Requires each agency to submit to the Secretary a plan describing how it intends to meet such requirements. Directs the Secretary to establish a Federal Energy Efficiency Fund to provide grants to agencies to enable them to meet the energy efficiency requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes and encourages agencies to participate in programs for energy conservation or the management of electricity demand conducted by gas or electric utilities and available to customers of such utilities. Directs the Secretary to establish a financial bonus program to reward outstanding facility energy managers in such agencies. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary to study the monetary value of the environmental benefits resulting from energy efficiency improvements in Federal buildings. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to install in Federal buildings commercial energy efficiency technologies developed by entities receiving Federal financial assistance for research and development. Requires the Secretary to prepare and disseminate an evaluation of each energy efficiency technology included in such program, outlining its technical and economic effectiveness. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Administrator of the General Services Administration to conduct a detailed analysis of the energy consuming and conserving products in the Federal Supply Schedule and devise a method to highlight those products that are preferred energy efficient models. Requires the Administrator to: (1) issue guidelines to users of the Schedule to encourage the purchase of such models; and (2) identify manufacturers of energy efficient products not listed on the Schedule and provide such manufacturers with assistance to encourage the inclusion of their products on the Schedule. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to require the President to promulgate rules prohibiting agencies from acquiring automobiles with fuel economies that are not greater than the average fuel economy for the previous year. Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to require each agency head to adopt, no later than two years after enactment of this Act, procedures to assure that the construction of new Federal buildings meet or exceed certain energy conservation performance standards. Title III: Electricity and Utilities - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require rates charged by State-regulated electric utilities be such that prudent investments in conservation and energy efficiency resources are at least as profitable as investments in new generation facilities. Requires the Secretary to report to the President and the Congress: (1) a survey of State laws and policies under which State regulatory authorities require electric utilities to compare energy efficiency and generation investment opportunities to minimize life-cycle costs of electric services to electric customers (least-cost planning); (2) an evaluation of whether such least-cost planning will result in higher or lower electricity costs, enhanced or reduced reliability of electric service, and increased or decreased dependence on particular energy resources; and (3) an evaluation of whether ratemaking methodologies implementing such planning take into account the impact of such measures on electric utilities' costs, operations, and rate of return on investment. Requires unregulated electric utilities to use least-cost planning. Requires each unregulated utility to initiate or expand efforts to ensure that cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy resources are acquired by customer utilities. Title IV: Standards and Information - Directs the Secretary to provide financial assistance to support a voluntary, national window rating program to develop window energy ratings and labels. Mandates that such program be administered by the National Fenestration Rating Council which shall report periodically to the Congress and the Secretary regarding the program's status. Directs the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe labeling rules for windows and window systems. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary to develop a voluntary national program to devise standards for the proper levels of industrial insulation. Requires the Secretary to: (1) review the status of industrial energy auditing procedures; (2) conduct an educational and technical assistance program concerning the standards and auditing procedures; and (3) report to the Congress regarding such standards, auditing procedures, and educational and technical assistance, including the responsiveness of the industrial sector to the standards. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Secretary to determine the feasibility of establishing energy conservation standards for the commercial application of lamps, appliance motors, and small package air conditioners. Provides for enforcement of any standards adopted. Title V: International - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to revise the purposes of the interagency working group to require them to: (1) promote the export of renewable energy and energy technologies produced in the United States; (2) inform other countries of the benefits of such technologies; and (3) foster rural and urban economic development and energy self-sufficiency through their use. Requires such group to: (1) develop a data base and information dissemination system that will provide information on the energy technology needs of lesser-developed countries, the technical and economic competitiveness of various renewable energy and energy efficiency resource technologies, and the status of ongoing technology assistance programs; (2) make such information available to industry, Federal and multilateral lending agencies, nongovernmental organizations, host-country and donor-agency officials, and others; and (3) report to the Congress biennially on the full range of energy and environmental technologies necessary to meet the energy needs of developing countries while reducing the generation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Authorizes the interagency working group to establish renewable energy and energy efficiency industry outreach offices in the Pacific Rim and in the Caribbean Basin. Authorizes the group to sponsor trade missions to help market renewable energy and energy efficient products in other countries. Title VI: Miscellaneous - Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to require the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to collect annually, on a State-by-State basis, information on renewable energy utilized within such States. Repeals the National Energy Extension Service Act (thus abolishing the Energy Extension Service).

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3 official files

• Public Law (PDF)

  Public Law · EN · 25 October 1992

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• Conference report filed in House

  summary · EN · 5 October 1992

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 4 February 1991

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