This was an amazing week for clean, renewable energy with the passage of SB 838, but watch out for the flood of remaining bills that are part of the renewable energy package.  Over the next two weeks, at least three other parts of the package may be arriving on the Governor’s desk, with still more in the hopper.

For example, the energy efficiency in public buildings bill passed the Senate Environment and Natural Resources committee and is now headed, unamended, to the Senate floor. HB 2876 requires the Department of Energy to reduce energy consumption in existing public buildings by 20% by 2015 and requires new building projects incorporate energy efficient designs. Once it passes the Senate it will be headed to the Governor’s desk.

Helping promote renewable solar power, HB 2620 provides that public improvement contracts for construction or major renovations of public buildings appropriate at least 1.5 percent of the total contract price for solar energy technology.  HB 2620 passed out of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources committee on Thursday with minor amendments and is now headed to the Senate floor.  It will need to go back to the House for concurrence.

SB 375 which establishes minimum efficiency standards for a number of additional home and commercial appliances is awaiting a vote on the House floor and will then need to go back to the Senate for concurrence.

One of the green building proposals, SB 576, which requires that major facility projects be planned, designed, constructed and renovated to meet sustainable building standards, is still in Ways and Means but the fiscal impact has been removed, so it should come out of Ways and Means soon.

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