ABSTRACT
Building Codes and the Recovery Act The Recovery Act altered the relationship of the US Department of Energy with the State Energy Offices. DOE and the SEOs have engaged one another through intergovernmental activities throughout the entire history of DOE and the SEOs. SEP was most recently reauthorized in EISA 2007, with an Oak Ridge National Laboratory report (Schweitzer et al. 2003) showing significant economic and environmental benefits from investments in these leveraged activities. It was also clear, however, that there was more potential, “shovelready” projects, that the states could implement with more funding. The SEOs lobbied heavily for additional SEP funds as the Obama Administration and Congress discussed its response to the economic crisis. The funding would result in an historic investment in SEP, as well as a variety of other state and local programs. SEP would grow in stature and attention from the governors, but there were restrictions and changes, as well as responsibilities, that came with this resource windfall. In a letter to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu dated February 24, 2009, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius wrote:
Dear Secretary Chu:
As a condition of Kansas receiving its share of the $3.1 billion funding for the State Energy Program under the American Recovery and Renewal [sic] Act of 2009 (H.R. 1)(ARRA), I am providing the following assurances:
I have written to our public utility commission and requested they consider additional actions to promote energy efficiency, consistent with federal statutory language contained in H.R. 1 and their obligations to maintain just and reasonable rate, while protecting the public.
