Sec. 5. (a) The governing body may enter into an agreement with a public utility to participate in a utility efficiency program or enter into a guaranteed savings contract with a qualified provider to increase the political subdivision’s billable revenues or reduce the school corporation‘s or the political subdivision’s energy or water consumption, wastewater usage costs, or operating costs if, after review of the report described in section 6 of this chapter, the governing body finds:

(1) in the case of conservation measures other than those that are part of a project related to the alteration of a water or wastewater structure or system, that the amount the governing body would spend on the conservation measures under the contract and that are recommended in the report is not likely to exceed the amount to be saved in energy consumption costs and other operating costs over twenty (20) years from the date of installation if the recommendations in the report were followed;

(2) in the case of conservation measures that are part of a project related to the alteration of a water or wastewater structure or system, that the amount the governing body would spend on the conservation measures under the contract and that are recommended in the report is not likely to exceed the amount of increased billable revenues or the amount to be saved in energy and water consumption costs, wastewater usage costs, and other operating costs over twenty (20) years from the date of installation if the recommendations in the report were followed; and

(3) in the case of a guaranteed savings contract, the qualified provider provides a written guarantee as described in subsection (d)(3).

     (b) Before entering into an agreement to participate in a utility efficiency program or a guaranteed savings contract under this section, the governing body must publish notice under subsection (c) indicating:

(1) that the governing body is requesting public utilities or qualified providers to propose conservation measures through:

(A) a utility efficiency program; or

(B) a guaranteed savings contract; and

(2) the date, the time, and the place where proposals must be received.

     (c) The notice required by subsection (b) must be published two (2) times with at least one (1) week between publications:

(1) with each publication of notice in accordance with IC 5-3-1-1 in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the county where the school corporation or the political subdivision is located; or

(2) with the first publication of notice in the newspapers described in subdivision (1) and the second publication of notice:

(A) in accordance with IC 5-3-5; and

(B) on the official web site of the school corporation or the political subdivision.

The second publication must be made at least thirty (30) days before the date by which proposals must be received.

     (d) An agreement to participate in a utility efficiency program or guaranteed savings contract under this section must provide that:

(1) in the case of conservation measures other than those that are part of a project related to the alteration of a water or wastewater structure or system, all payments, except obligations upon the termination of the agreement or contract before the agreement or contract expires, may be made to the public utility or qualified provider (whichever applies) in installments, not to exceed the lesser of twenty (20) years or the average life of the conservation measures installed from the date of final installation;

(2) in the case of conservation measures that are part of a project related to the alteration of a water or wastewater structure or system, all payments, except obligations upon the termination of the agreement or contract before the agreement or contract expires, may be made to the public utility or qualified provider (whichever applies) in installments, not to exceed the lesser of twenty (20) years or the average life of the conservation measures installed from the date of final installation;

(3) in the case of the guaranteed savings contract:

(A) the:

(i) savings in energy and water consumption costs, wastewater usage costs, and other operating costs; and

(ii) increase in billable revenues;

due to the conservation measures are guaranteed to cover the costs of the payments for the measures; and

(B) the qualified provider will reimburse the school corporation or political subdivision for the difference between the guaranteed savings and the actual savings; and

(4) payments are subject to annual appropriation by the fiscal body of the school corporation or political subdivision and do not constitute an indebtedness of the school corporation or political subdivision within the meaning of a constitutional or statutory debt limitation.

As added by P.L.24-1993, SEC.6. Amended by P.L.212-1995, SEC.2; P.L.208-1995, SEC.7; P.L.168-2006, SEC.11; P.L.71-2009, SEC.6; P.L.99-2009, SEC.5; P.L.252-2015, SEC.45; P.L.152-2021, SEC.37.