4. a. (1) The board of trustees of a public institution of higher education may implement an energy savings improvement program in the manner provided by this section whenever it determines that the savings generated from reduced energy use from the program will be sufficient to cover the cost of the program’s energy conservation measures as set forth in an energy savings plan. Under such a program, a board of trustees may enter into an energy savings services contract with an energy services company to implement the program or the board may authorize separate contracts to implement the program. The provisions of: N.J.S. 18A:64-1 et seq., in the case of any State college; P.L.1995, c.400 (C. 18A:64E-12 et seq.), in the case of the New Jersey Institute of Technology; N.J.S. 18A:65-1 et seq., in the case of Rutgers, the State University; P.L.2012, c.45 (C. 18A:64M-1 et al.), in the case of Rowan University; P.L.2017, c.178 (C. 18A:64N-1 et al.), in the case of Montclair State University; P.L.2021, c.282 (C. 18A:64O-1 et al.), in the case of Kean University; and N.J.S. 18A:64A-1 et seq., in the case of the county colleges; shall apply to any contracts awarded pursuant to this section to the extent that the provisions of such law are not inconsistent with any provision of this section.

In the case of Rutgers, the State University, references in this section to the board of trustees shall mean the Rutgers board of governors.

(2) An educational facility alteration required to properly implement other energy efficiency or energy conservation measures, or both, may be included as part of an energy savings services contract, in which case, notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, the facility alteration may be undertaken or supervised by the energy services company performing the energy savings services contract if:

(a) the total cost of the improvement does not exceed 15 percent of the total cost of the work to be performed under the energy savings services contract; and

(b) (i) the improvement is necessary to conform to a law, rule, or regulation, or order, or (ii) an analysis within an approved proposal, or the board of trustees, at the time of the award of the proposal, demonstrates that there is an economic advantage to the board of trustees implementing the improvement as part of the energy savings services contract, and the savings rationale for the improvement is documented and supported by reasonable justification.

b. (1) To be eligible to enter into an energy savings services contract, an energy services company shall be a commercial entity that is qualified to provide energy savings services in accordance with the provisions of this section. A public institution of higher education may enter into an energy savings services contract through public advertising for bids and the receipt of bids therefor.

(2) (a) Public works activities performed under an energy savings improvement program shall be subject to all requirements regarding public bidding, bid security, performance guarantees, insurance and other public contracting requirements that are applicable to public works contracts, to the extent not inconsistent with this section. A general contractor, energy services company serving as general contractor, or any subcontractor hired for the furnishing of plumbing and gas fitting and all kindred work, and of steam and hot water heating and ventilating apparatus, steam power plants and kindred work, and electrical work, structural steel and ornamental iron work, shall be classified by the Division of Property Management and Construction in the Department of the Treasury in order to perform public works activities under an energy savings improvement program.

(b) Individuals or organizations performing energy audits, acting as commissioning agents, or conducting verification of energy savings plans, implementation of energy conservation measures, or verifying guarantees shall be prequalified by the Division of Property Management and Construction in the Department of the Treasury to perform their work under an energy savings improvement program.

(c) Where there is a need for compatibility of a direct digital control system with previously installed control systems and equipment, the bid specifications may include a requirement for proprietary goods, and if so included, the bid specification shall set forth an allowance price for its supply which shall be used by all bidders in the public bidding process.

(3) (a) An energy services company may be designated as the general contractor for improvements to be made pursuant to an energy savings plan, provided that the hiring of subcontractors that are required to be classified pursuant to subparagraph (a) of paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be performed in accordance with the procedures and requirements set forth pursuant to the public bidding requirements of the board of trustees. A contract with an energy savings company shall include, but not be limited to: preparation of an energy savings plan; the responsibilities of the parties for project schedules, installations, performance and quality, payment of subcontractors, project completion, commissioning, savings implementation; a requirement that the savings to be achieved by energy conservation measures be verified upon commissioning of the improvements; allocation of State and federal rebates and tax credits; and any other provisions deemed necessary by the parties.

(b) All workers performing public works activities for subcontractors awarded contracts by an energy services company pursuant to this section shall be paid prevailing wages in accordance with the “New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act,” P.L.1963, c.150 (C. 34:11-56.25 et seq.). All subcontractors shall comply with the provisions of “The Public Works Contractor Registration Act,” P.L.1999, c.238 (C. 34:11-56.48 et seq.). Only firms appropriately classified as contractors by the Division of Property Management and Construction shall be eligible to be awarded a contract as a subcontractor of an energy services company under this section for performing public works activities pursuant to regulations adopted by the Division of Property Management and Construction.

(c) In order to expedite communications with an energy services company and facilitate the implementation of an energy savings improvement program, a board of trustees may designate or appoint an employee of the public institution of higher education with decision-making authority to coordinate with the energy services company and to address issues associated with the implementation of an energy savings improvement program as they arise, provided that any decision requiring a change order shall be made only upon the approval of the board of trustees of the public institution of higher education.

(4) A subsidiary or wholly-owned or partially-owned affiliate of the energy services company shall not be an eligible contractor or subcontractor under an energy savings services contract.

c. An energy savings improvement program may be financed through a lease-purchase agreement or through the issuance of energy savings obligations pursuant to this subsection.

(1) An energy savings improvement program may be financed through a lease-purchase agreement between a board of trustees and an energy services company or other public or private entity. Under a lease-purchase agreement, ownership of the energy savings equipment or improved facilities shall pass to the board of trustees when all lease payments have been made. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, the duration of such a lease-purchase agreement shall not exceed 15 years, except that the duration of a lease purchase agreement for a combined heat and power or cogeneration project shall not exceed 20 years. For the purposes of this paragraph, the duration of the repayment term of a lease-purchase agreement shall commence on the date upon which construction and installation of the energy savings equipment, “combined heat and power facility” or “cogeneration facility,” as those terms are defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C. 48:3-51), or other energy conservation measures undertaken pursuant to the energy savings plan, have been completed.

(2) Any lease-purchase or other agreement entered into in connection with an energy savings improvement program may be a general obligation of the public institution of higher education pursuant to this subsection, and may contain: a clause making it subject to the availability and appropriation annually of sufficient funds as may be required to meet the extended obligation; and a non-substitution clause maintaining that if the agreement is terminated for non-appropriation, the board of trustees may not replace the leased equipment or facilities with equipment or facilities that perform the same or similar functions.

(3) A board of trustees may arrange for incurring energy savings obligations to finance an energy savings improvement program and may enter into any agreement with the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority or other persons in connection with the issuance by the authority of its obligations on behalf of the public institution of higher education in order to finance the institution’s energy savings improvement program. Energy savings obligations may be funded through appropriations for utility services in the annual budget of the board, or incurred as a general obligation of the public institution of higher education in connection with the issuance by the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority of bonds or notes pursuant to N.J.S. 18A:72A-2 et seq., or, in the case of a county college, by a sponsoring county as a refunding bond pursuant to N.J.S. 40A:2-52 et seq., including the issuance of bond anticipation notes as may be necessary, provided that all such bonds and notes mature within the periods authorized for such energy savings obligations.

(4) Lease-purchase agreements and energy savings obligations shall not be used to finance maintenance, guarantees, or verification of guarantees of energy conservation measures. Lease-purchase agreements and energy savings obligations may be used to finance the cost of an energy audit or the cost of verification of energy savings as part of adopting an energy savings plan. Maturity schedules of lease-purchase agreements or energy savings obligations shall not exceed the estimated average useful life of the energy conservation measures.

d. (1) The energy audit component of an energy savings improvement program shall be conducted either by the board of trustees or by a qualified third party retained by the board for that purpose. It shall not be conducted by an energy services company subsequently hired to develop an energy savings improvement program. The energy audit shall identify the current energy use of any or all facilities and energy conservation measures that can be implemented in which the energy savings and energy efficiency could be realized and maximized.

(2) To implement an energy savings improvement program, a board of trustees shall develop an energy savings plan that consists of one or more energy conservation measures. The plan shall:

(a) contain the results of an energy audit;

(b) describe the energy conservation measures that will comprise the program;

(c) estimate greenhouse gas reductions resulting from those energy savings;

(d) identify all design and compliance issues that require the professional services of an architect or engineer and identify who will provide these services;

(e) include an assessment of risks involved in the successful implementation of the plan;

(f) identify the eligibility for, and costs and revenues associated with the PJM Independent System Operator for demand response and curtailable service activities;

(g) include schedules showing calculations of all costs of implementing the proposed energy conservation measures and the projected energy savings;

(h) identify maintenance requirements necessary to ensure continued energy savings, and describe how they will be fulfilled; and

(i) if developed by an energy services company, a description of, and cost estimates of an energy savings guarantee.

All professionals providing engineering services under the plan shall have errors and omissions insurance.

(3) Prior to the adoption of the plan, the board of trustees shall contract with a qualified third party to verify the projected energy savings to be realized from the proposed program have been calculated as required by subsection e. of this section.

(4) Upon adoption, the plan shall be submitted to the Board of Public Utilities, which shall post it on the Internet on a public webpage maintained for such purpose. If the board of trustees maintains its own website, it shall also post the plan on that site. The Board of Public Utilities may require periodic reporting concerning the implementation of the plan.

(5) Verification by a qualified third party shall be required when energy conservation measures are placed in service or commissioned, to ensure the savings projected in the energy savings plan shall be achieved.

(6) Energy-related capital improvements that do not reduce energy usage may be included in an energy savings improvement program but the cost of such improvements shall not be financed as a lease-purchase or through energy savings obligations authorized by subsection c. of this section. Nothing herein is intended to prevent the financing of such capital improvements through otherwise authorized means.

(7) A qualified third party when required by this subsection may include an employee of the public institution of higher education who is properly trained and qualified to perform such work.

e. (1) (a) The calculation of energy savings for the purposes of determining that the energy savings resulting from the program will be sufficient to cover the cost of the program’s energy conservation measures, as provided in subsection a. of this section, shall involve determination of the dollar amount saved through implementation of an energy savings improvement program using the guidelines of the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol or other protocols approved by the Board of Public Utilities and standards adopted by the Board of Public Utilities pursuant to this section. The calculation shall include all applicable State and federal rebates and tax credits, but shall not include the cost of an energy audit and the cost of verifying energy savings. The calculation shall state which party has made application for rebates and credits and how these applications translate into energy savings.

(b) During the procurement phase of an energy savings improvement program, an energy services company’s proposal submitted in response to a request for proposal shall not include a savings calculation that assumes, includes, or references capital cost avoidance savings, the current or projected value of a “solar renewable energy certificate,” as defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C. 48:3-51), or other environmental or similar attributes or benefits of whatever nature that derive from the generation of renewable energy, and any costs or discounts associated with maintenance services, an energy savings guarantee, or third party verification of energy conservation measures and energy savings. The calculation of energy savings shall utilize and specifically reference as a benchmark the actual demand and energy components of the public utility tariff rate applicable to the board of trustees then in effect, and not a blended rate that aggregates, combines, or restates in any manner the distinct demand and energy components of the public utility tariff rate into a single combined or restated tariff rate. If an energy services company submits a proposal to a board of trustees that does not calculate projected energy savings in the manner required by this subsection, such proposal shall be rejected by the board of trustees.

(2) For the purposes of this section, the Board of Public Utilities shall adopt standards and uniform values for interest rates and escalation of labor, electricity, oil, and gas, as well as standards for presenting these costs in a life cycle and net present value format, standards for the presentation of obligations for carbon reductions, and other standards that the board may determine necessary.

f. (1) When an energy services company is awarded an energy savings services contract, it shall offer the board of trustees the option to purchase, for an additional amount, an energy savings guarantee. The guarantee, if accepted by a separate vote of the board of trustees, shall insure that the energy savings resulting from the energy savings improvement program, determined periodically over the duration of the guarantee, will be sufficient to defray all payments required to be made pursuant to the lease-purchase agreement or energy savings obligation, and if the savings are not sufficient, the energy services company will reimburse the board of trustees for any additional amounts. Annual costs of a guarantee shall not be financed or included as costs in an energy savings plan but shall be fully disclosed in an energy savings plan.

(2) When a guaranteed energy savings option is purchased, the contract shall require a qualified third party to verify the energy savings at intervals established by the parties.

(3) When an energy services company is awarded an energy savings services contract to provide or perform goods or services for the purpose of enabling a board of trustees to conserve energy through energy efficiency equipment, including a “combined heat and power facility” as that term is defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23 (C. 48:3-51), on a self-funded basis, such contract shall extend for a term of up to 15 years for energy efficiency projects, and for up to 20 years for a combined heat and power facility after construction completion. If a board of trustees shall elect to contract with an energy services company for an energy savings guarantee in connection with a contract awarded pursuant to this section, such guarantee may extend for a term of up to 15 years for energy efficiency projects, or up to 20 years for a combined heat and power facility after construction completion.

g. As used in this section:

“direct digital control systems” means the devices and computerized control equipment that contain software and computer interfaces that perform the logic that control a building’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system. Direct digital controls shall be open protocol format and shall meet the interoperability guidelines established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers;

“educational facility” means a structure suitable for use as a dormitory, dining hall, student union, administrative building, academic building, library, laboratory, research facility, classroom, athletic facility, health care facility, teaching hospital, and parking, maintenance, storage or utility facility or energy conservation measures and other structures or facilities related thereto or required or useful for the instruction of students or the conducting of research or the operation of an institution for higher education, and public libraries, and the necessary and usual attendant and related facilities and equipment, but shall not include any facility used or to be used for sectarian instruction or as a place for religious worship;

“energy conservation measure” means an improvement that results in reduced energy use, including, but not limited to, installation of energy efficient equipment; demand response equipment; combined heat and power systems; facilities for the production of renewable energy; water conservation measures, fixtures or facilities; building envelope improvements that are part of an energy savings improvement program; and related control systems for each of the foregoing;

“energy related capital improvement” means a capital improvement that uses energy but does not result in a reduction of energy use;

“energy saving obligation” means a bond, note or other agreement evidencing the obligation to repay borrowed funds incurred in order to finance energy saving improvements;

“energy savings” means a measured reduction in fuel, energy, operating or maintenance costs resulting from the implementation of one or more energy conservation measures services when compared with an established baseline of previous fuel, energy, operating or maintenance costs, including, but not limited to, future capital replacement expenditures avoided as a result of equipment installed or services performed as part of an energy savings plan;

“energy savings improvement program” means an initiative of a public institution of higher education to implement energy conservation measures in existing facilities, provided that the value of the energy savings resulting from the program will be sufficient to cover the cost of the program’s energy conservation measures;

“energy savings plan” means the document that describes the actions to be taken to implement the energy savings improvement program;

“energy savings services contract” means a contract with an energy savings company to develop an energy savings plan, prepare bid specifications, manage the performance, provision, construction, and installation of energy conservation measures by subcontractors, to offer a guarantee of energy savings derived from the implementation of an energy savings plan, and may include a provision to manage the bidding process;

“energy services company” means a commercial entity that is qualified to develop and implement an energy savings plan in accordance with the provisions of this section;

“public works activities” means any work subject to the provisions of P.L.1963, c.150 (C. 34:11-56.25 et seq.); and

“water conservation measure” means an alteration to a facility or equipment that reduces water consumption, maximizes the efficiency of water use, or reduces water loss.

h. (1) The State Treasurer and the Board of Public Utilities may take such action as is deemed necessary and consistent with the intent of this section to implement its provisions.

(2) The State Treasurer and the Board of Public Utilities may adopt implementation guidelines or directives, and adopt such administrative rules, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary for the implementation of those agencies’ respective responsibilities under this section, except that notwithstanding any provision of P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.) to the contrary, the State Treasurer and the Board of Public Utilities may adopt, immediately upon filing with the Office of Administrative Law, such rules and regulations as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of this act which shall be effective for a period not to exceed 12 months and shall thereafter be amended, adopted or re-adopted in accordance with the provisions of P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.).

L.2009, c.4, s.4; amended 2012, c.45, s.88; 2012, c.55, s.2; 2017, c.178, s.50.