Sec. 33203B. State administered rebates

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In carrying out the Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program, and subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary shall provide grants to States to carry out programs to provide rebates in accordance with this section. In order to receive a grant under this section a State shall submit to the Secretary an application that includes a plan to implement a State program that meets the minimum criteria under subsection (c). Not later than 60 days after receipt of a completed application for a grant under this section, the Secretary shall either approve the application or provide to the applicant an explanation for denying the application.

Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish and publish minimum criteria for a State program to meet to qualify for funding under this section, including— that the State program be carried out by the applicable State energy office or its designee; that a rebate be provided under a State program only for a home energy efficiency retrofit that— is completed by a contractor who meets minimum training requirements and certification requirements set forth by the Secretary; includes installation of one or more home energy efficiency retrofit measures for a home that together are modeled to achieve, or are shown to achieve, a reduction in home energy use of 20 percent or more from the baseline energy use of the home; does not include installation of any measure that the Secretary determines does not improve the thermal energy performance of the home, such as a pool pump, pool heater, spa, or EV charger; and includes, after installation of the applicable home energy efficiency retrofit measures, a test-out procedure conducted in accordance with guidelines issued by the Secretary of such measures to ensure— the safe operation of all systems post retrofit; and that all improvements are included in, and have been installed according to— manufacturers installation specifications; and all applicable State and local codes or equivalent standards approved by the Secretary; that the State program utilize— for purposes of modeled performance rebates, modeling software approved by the Secretary for determining and documenting the baseline energy use of a home and the reductions in home energy use resulting from the implementation of a home energy efficiency retrofit; and for purposes of measured performance rebates, methods and procedures approved by the Secretary for determining and documenting the baseline energy use of a home and the reductions in home energy use resulting from the implementation of a home energy efficiency retrofit, including methods and procedures for use of advanced metering infrastructure, weather-normalized data, and open source standards, to measure such baseline energy use and such reductions in home energy use; that the State program include implementation of a quality assurance program— to ensure that home energy efficiency retrofits are achieving the stated level of energy savings, that efficiency measures were installed correctly, and that work is performed in accordance with procedures developed by the Secretary, including through quality-control inspections for a portion of home energy efficiency retrofits completed by each applicable contractor; and under which a quality-control inspection of a home energy efficiency retrofit is performed by a quality assurance provider who— is independent of the contractor for such retrofit; and will confirm that such contractor is a contractor who meets minimum training requirements and certification requirements set forth by the Secretary; that the State program include requirements for a homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator to claim a rebate, including that the homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator submit any applicable forms approved by the Secretary to the State, including a copy of the certificate provided by the applicable contractor certifying projected or measured reduction of home energy use; that the State program may include requirements for an entity to be eligible to serve as a rebate aggregator to facilitate the delivery of rebates to homeowners or contractors; that the State program include procedures for a homeowner to transfer the right to claim a rebate to the contractor performing the applicable home energy efficiency retrofit or to a rebate aggregator that works with the contractor; and that the State program provide that a homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator may claim more than one rebate under the State program, and may claim a rebate under the State program after receiving a partial system rebate under section 33203A, provided that no 2 rebates may be provided with respect to a home using the same baseline energy use of such home.

In carrying out a State program under this section, a State may provide a homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator a rebate, to be known as a modeled performance rebate, for an energy audit of a home and a home energy efficiency retrofit that is projected, using modeling software approved by the Secretary, to reduce home energy use by at least 20 percent. Except as provided in section 33203C, and subject to subparagraph (B), the amount of a modeled performance rebate provided under a State program shall be equal to 50 percent of the cost of the applicable energy audit of a home and home energy efficiency retrofit, including the cost of diagnostic procedures, labor, reporting, and modeling.

Except as provided in section 33203C, with respect to an energy audit and home energy efficiency retrofit that is projected to reduce home energy use by— at least 20 percent, but less than 40 percent, the maximum amount of a modeled performance rebate shall be $2,000; and at least 40 percent, the maximum amount of a modeled performance rebate shall be $4,000. In carrying out a State program under this section, a State may provide a homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator a rebate, to be known as a measured performance rebate, for a home energy efficiency retrofit that reduces home energy use by at least 20 percent as measured using methods and procedures approved by the Secretary.

Except as provided in section 33203C, and subject to subparagraph (B), the amount of a measured performance rebate provided under a State program shall be equal to 50 percent of the cost, including the cost of diagnostic procedures, labor, reporting, and energy measurement, of the applicable home energy efficiency retrofit. Except as provided in section 33203C, with respect to a home energy efficiency retrofit that is measured as reducing home energy use by— at least 20 percent, but less than 40 percent, the maximum amount of a measured performance rebate shall be $2,000; and at least 40 percent, the maximum amount of a measured performance rebate shall be $4,000.

A State that receives a grant under this section is encouraged to work with State agencies, energy utilities, nonprofits, and other entities— to assist in marketing the availability of the rebates under the applicable State program; to coordinate with utility or State managed financing programs; to assist in implementation of the applicable State program, including installation of home energy efficiency retrofits; and to coordinate with existing quality assurance programs. The Secretary shall, on an annual basis, list and review all modeling software approved for use in determining and documenting the reductions in home energy use for purposes of modeled performance rebates under subsection (d).

In approving such modeling software each year, the Secretary shall ensure that modeling software approved for a year will result in modeling of energy efficiency gains for any type of home energy efficiency retrofit that is at least as substantial as the modeling of energy efficiency gains for such type of home energy efficiency retrofit using the modeling software approved for the previous year. If the Secretary determines that a State is not implementing a State program that was approved pursuant to subsection

(b)and that meets the minimum criteria under subsection (c), the Secretary may, after providing the State a period of at least 90 days to meet such criteria, withhold grant funds under this section from the State.