SB1700eng 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1700 Engrossed LRB100 11334 HLH 21711 b

AN ACT concerning revenue.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. If and only if House Bill 2831 of the 100th General Assembly becomes law as engrossed, then the Property Assessed Clean Energy Act is amended by changing Sections 5 and 25 as follows:

(10000HB2831eng, Sec. 5)

Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Alternative energy improvement" means the installation or upgrade of electrical wiring, outlets, or charging stations to charge a motor vehicle that is fully or partially powered by electricity.

"Assessment contract" means a voluntary written contract between the local unit of government and record owner governing the terms and conditions of financing and assessment under a program.

"PACE area" means an area within the jurisdictional boundaries of a local unit of government created by an ordinance or resolution of the local unit of government to provide financing for energy projects under a property assessed clean energy program. A local unit of government may create more than one PACE area under the program, and PACE areas may be separate, overlapping, or coterminous.

"Energy efficiency improvement" means equipment, devices, or materials intended to decrease energy consumption or promote a more efficient use of electricity, natural gas, propane, or other forms of energy on property, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1) insulation in walls, roofs, floors, foundations, or heating and cooling distribution systems;

(2) storm windows and doors, multi-glazed windows and doors, heat-absorbing or heat-reflective glazed and coated window and door systems, and additional glazing, reductions in glass area, and other window and door system modifications that reduce energy consumption;

(3) automated energy control systems;

(4) high efficiency heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning and distribution system modifications or replacements;

(5) caulking, weather-stripping, and air sealing;

(6) replacement or modification of lighting fixtures to reduce the energy use of the lighting system;

(7) energy controls or recovery systems;

(8) day lighting systems; and

(9) any other installation or modification of equipment, devices, or materials approved as a utility cost-savings measure by the governing body.

"Energy project" means the installation or modification of an alternative energy improvement, energy efficiency improvement, or water use improvement, or the acquisition, installation, or improvement of a renewable energy system that is or will be affixed to new or a stabilized existing property (not new construction).

"Governing body" means the county board or board of county commissioners of a county, the city council of a city, or the board of trustees of a village.

"Local unit of government" means a county, city, or village.

"Person" means an individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, unincorporated joint venture, trust, or any other type of entity that is recognized by law and has the title to or interest in property. "Person" does not include a local unit of government or a homeowner's or condominium association.

"Program administrator" means a for-profit entity or not-for profit entity that will administer a program on behalf of or at the discretion of the local unit of government. It or its affiliates, consultants, or advisors shall have done business as a program administrator or capital provider for a minimum of 18 months and shall be responsible for arranging capital for the acquisition of bonds issued by the local unit of government to finance energy projects.

"Property" means privately-owned commercial, industrial, non-residential agricultural, or multi-family (of 5 or more units) real property located within the local unit of government, but does not include property owned by a local unit of government or a homeowner's or condominium association.

"Property assessed clean energy program" or "program" means a program as described in Section 10.

"Record owner" means the person who is the titleholder or owner of the beneficial interest in property.

"Renewable energy resource" includes energy and its associated renewable energy credit or renewable energy credits from wind energy, solar thermal energy, photovoltaic cells and panels, biodiesel, anaerobic digestion, and hydropower that does not involve new construction or significant expansion of hydropower dams. For purposes of this Act, landfill gas produced in the State is considered a renewable energy resource. The term "renewable energy resources" does not include the incineration or burning of any solid material.

"Renewable energy system" means a fixture, product, device, or interacting group of fixtures, products, or devices on the customer's side of the meter that use one or more renewable energy resources to generate electricity.

"Water use improvement" means any fixture, product, system, device, or interacting group thereof for or serving any property that has the effect of conserving water resources through improved water management or efficiency.

(Source: 10000HB2831eng.)

(10000HB2831eng, Sec. 25)

Sec. 25. Contracts with record owners of property.

(a) After creation of a program and PACE area, a record owner of property within the PACE area may apply with the local unit of government or its program administrator for funding to finance an energy project.

(b) A local unit of government may impose an assessment under a property assessed clean energy program only pursuant to the terms of a recorded assessment contract with the record owner of the property to be assessed.

(c) Before entering into an assessment contract with a record owner under a program, the local unit of government shall verify all of the following:

(1) that the property is within the PACE area;

(2) that there are no delinquent taxes, special assessments, or water or sewer charges on the property;

(3) that there are no delinquent assessments on the property under a property assessed clean energy program;

(4) there are no involuntary liens on the property, including, but not limited to, construction or mechanics liens, lis pendens or judgments against the record owner, environmental proceedings, or eminent domain proceedings;

(5) that no notices of default or other evidence of property-based debt delinquency have been recorded and not cured;

(6) that the record owner is current on all mortgage debt on the property, the record owner has not filed for bankruptcy in the last 2 years, and the property is not an asset to a current bankruptcy.

(7) all work requiring a license under any applicable law to make a qualifying improvement shall be performed by a registered contractor that has agreed to adhere to a set of terms and conditions through a process established by the local unit of government.

(8) the contractors to be used have signed a written acknowledgement that the local unit of government will not authorize final payment to the contractor until the local unit of government has received written confirmation from the record owner that the improvement was properly installed and is operating as intended; provided, however, that the contractor retains all legal rights and remedies in the event there is a disagreement with the owner;

(9) that the amount of the assessment in relation to the greater of the assessed value of the property or the appraised value of the property, as determined by a licensed appraiser, does not exceed 25%; and

(10) a requirement that an assessment of the existing water or energy use or and a modeling of expected monetary savings has have been conducted for any proposed project.

(d) At least 30 days before entering into an agreement with the local unit of government, the record owner shall provide to the holders or loan servicers of any existing mortgages encumbering or otherwise secured by the property a notice of the record owner's intent to enter into an assessment contract with the local unit of government, together with the maximum principal amount to be financed and the maximum annual assessment necessary to repay that amount, along with a request that the holders or loan servicers of any existing mortgages consent to the record owner subjecting the property to the program. A verified copy or other proof of those notices and the written consent of the existing mortgage holder for the record owner to enter into the assessment contract and acknowledging that the existing mortgage will be subordinate to the financing and assessment agreement and that the local unit of government can foreclose the property if the assessment is not paid shall be provided to the local unit of government.

(e) A provision in any agreement between a local unit of government and a public or private power or energy provider or other utility provider is not enforceable to limit or prohibit any local unit of government from exercising its authority under this Section.

(f) The record owner has signed a certification that the local unit of government has complied with the provisions of this Section, which shall be conclusive evidence as to compliance with these provisions, but shall not relieve any contractor, or local unit of government, from any potential liability.

(g) This Section is additional and supplemental to county and municipal home rule authority and not in derogation of such authority or limitation upon such authority.

(Source: 10000HB2831eng.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law or upon the effective date of House Bill 2831 of the 100th General Assembly, whichever occurs later.