State Building Program

Program Description

The MOU requires the execution of an energy survey of all state buildings to identify opportunities for electrical energy efficiency. The value of the savings and the means of capturing them will be described in a legislative report.

The Commission’s State Buildings Program was initiated as an “interim” program in the spring of 2002. At the time, there were several State buildings that had been identified as inefficient. Some of these buildings were undergoing substantial renovation. The program provided funding to assist the Bureau of General Services (BGS) with the incrementally higher costs of more energy efficient equipment. As a result of program funding, a number of lighting upgrades in multiple buildings were accomplished and a major upgrade to the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf was made more efficient.

Program Activities

Over the past year, the State Buildings Program has shifted emphasis. Instead of using conservation fund money to help purchase more energy efficient equipment, Program staff are working with other State agencies to acquire energy efficiency through other mechanisms.

Efficiency Maine has worked with Maine’s Department of Corrections to help develop a third party, performance based energy savings contract. Under the contract, an Energy Service Company (ESCO) will finance and install $945,000 worth of energy improvements in the Maine State Prison facility at Warren. The project is guaranteed by the developer to return $1.5045,000 in annual energy savings which will endure well beyond the 4 - year payback period. Efficiency Maine is also working with the Bureau of General Services on a pilot, third-party contract for five buildings under the Bureau’s control in the Augusta area. Preliminary indications are that a $780,000 investment will yield a 17% reduction in energy consumption and $123,000 per year in reduced operating costs. The project will be used to demonstrate the feasibility of borrowing money to invest in appropriately negotiated guaranteed savings contracts. Our goal is to establish a prescribed set of circumstances for which the Legislature would grant the State Division of Administrative and Financial Services the authority to enter into such contracts.

Through funding from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation and the US Department of Energy’s (US DOE) Rebuild America program, we have worked with BGS to develop the “Maine Benchmark”. The Benchmark is a document that describes how to meet the requirement that all publicly funded construction or leased space be 20% more energy efficient than required by current commercial building energy codes. During development of the Benchmark, we worked with multiple stakeholders to customize the document for Maine’s climate and construction practices. Funding from US DOE will help us next year to provide training on how to use the Benchmark for the various entities involved in constructing publicly funded buildings. Our work on the Benchmark with the designers and contractors involved in construction of publicly funded spaces will provide them with experience that will transfer to privately funded projects.

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Efficiency Maine    Public Utilities Commission    18 State House Station    Augusta, Maine 04333-0018
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