To amend sections 4928.58, 4928.61, and 4928.62 of the Revised Code to extend the imposition of the current Advanced Energy Fund revenue rider on retail electric distribution service rates by three years and to clarify how Advanced Energy Fund grant amounts are to be determined.

Section 1. That sections 4928.58, 4928.61, and 4928.62 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 4928.58.  (A) There is hereby created the public benefits advisory board, which has the purpose of ensuring that energy services be provided to low-income consumers in this state in an affordable manner consistent with the policy specified in section 4928.02 of the Revised Code. The advisory board shall consist of twenty-one members as follows: the director of development, the chairperson of the public utilities commission, the consumers' counsel, and the director of the air quality development authority, each serving ex officio and represented by a designee at the official's discretion; two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, neither of the same political party, and two members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate, neither of the same political party; and thirteen members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, consisting of one representative of suppliers of competitive retail electric service; one representative of the residential class of electric utility customers; one representative of the industrial class of electric utility customers; one representative of the commercial class of electric utility customers; one representative of agricultural or rural customers of an electric utility; two customers receiving assistance under one or more of the low-income customer assistance programs, to represent customers eligible for any such assistance, including senior citizens; one representative of the general public; one representative of local intake agencies; one representative of a community-based organization serving low-income customers; one representative of environmental protection interests; one representative of lending institutions; and one person considered an expert in energy efficiency or renewables technology. Initial appointments shall be made not later than November 1, 1999.

(B) Initial terms of six of the appointed members shall end on June 30, 2003, and initial terms of the remaining seven appointed members shall end on June 30, 2004. Thereafter, terms of appointed members shall be for three years, with each term ending on the same day of the same month as the term it succeeds. Each member shall hold office from the date of the member's appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. Members may be reappointed.

Vacancies shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration date of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office as a member for the remainder of that term. A member shall continue in office after the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first.

(C) Board members shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of board duties. The reimbursements constitute, as applicable, administrative costs of the low-income customer assistance programs for the purpose of division (A) of section 4928.51 of the Revised Code or administrative costs of the advanced energy program for the purpose of division (A) of section 4528.61 of the Revised Code.

(D) The advisory board shall select a chairperson from among its members. Only board members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate shall be voting members of the board; each shall have one vote in all deliberations of the board. A majority of the voting members constitute a quorum.

(E) The duties of the advisory board shall be as follows:

(1) Advise the director in the administration of the universal service fund and the low-income customer assistance programs and advise the director on the director's recommendation to the commission regarding the appropriate level of the universal service rider;

(2) Advise the director on the administration of the advanced energy program and the advanced energy fund under sections 4928.61 to 4928.63 of the Revised Code, including grant award levels under section 4928.62 of the Revised Code;

(3) Hold public hearings to carry out the requirements of division (E)(2) of this section.

(F) The advisory board is not an agency for purposes of sections 101.82 to 101.87 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4928.61.  (A) There is hereby established in the state treasury the advanced energy fund, into which shall be deposited all advanced energy revenues remitted to the director of development under division (B) of this section, for the exclusive purposes of funding the advanced energy program created under section 4928.62 of the Revised Code and paying the program's administrative costs. Interest on the fund shall be credited to the fund.

(B) Advanced energy revenues shall include all of the following:

(1) Revenues remitted to the director after collection by each electric distribution utility in this state of a temporary rider on retail electric distribution service rates as such rates are determined by the public utilities commission pursuant to this chapter. The rider shall be a uniform amount statewide, determined by the director of development, after consultation with the public benefits advisory board created by section 4928.58 of the Revised Code. The amount shall be determined by dividing an aggregate revenue target for a given year as determined by the director, after consultation with the advisory board, by the number of customers of electric distribution utilities in this state in the prior year. Such aggregate revenue target shall not exceed more than fifteen million dollars in any year through 2005 and shall not exceed more than five million dollars in any year after 2005. The rider shall be imposed beginning on the effective date of the amendment of this section by Sub. H.B. 251 of the 126th general assembly, January 4, 2007, and shall terminate at the end of ten years following the starting date of competitive retail electric service on January 1, 2014, or until when the advanced energy fund, including interest, reaches one hundred fifteen million dollars, whichever is first.

(2) Revenues from payments, repayments, and collections under the advanced energy program and from program income;

(3) Revenues remitted to the director after collection by a municipal electric utility or electric cooperative in this state upon the utility's or cooperative's decision to participate in the advanced energy fund;

(4) Revenues from renewable energy compliance payments as provided under division (C)(2) of section 4928.64 of the Revised Code;

(5) Revenue from forfeitures under division (C) of section 4928.66 of the Revised Code;

(6) Interest earnings on the advanced energy fund.

(C)(1) Each electric distribution utility in this state shall remit to the director on a quarterly basis the revenues described in divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section. Such remittances shall occur within thirty days after the end of each calendar quarter.

(2) Each participating electric cooperative and participating municipal electric utility shall remit to the director on a quarterly basis the revenues described in division (B)(3) of this section. Such remittances shall occur within thirty days after the end of each calendar quarter. For the purpose of division (B)(3) of this section, the participation of an electric cooperative or municipal electric utility in the energy efficiency revolving loan program as it existed immediately prior to the effective date of the amendment of this section by Sub. H.B. 251 of the 126th general assembly, January 4, 2007, does not constitute a decision to participate in the advanced energy fund under this section as so amended.

(3) All Except for remittances from revenues described in division (B)(1) of this section, all remittances under divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section shall continue only until the end of ten years following the starting date of competitive retail electric service January 1, 2011, or until the advanced energy fund, including interest, reaches one hundred million dollars, whichever is first. Remittances from revenues described in division (B)(1) of this section shall continue only until January 1, 2014, or until the advanced energy fund, including interest, reaches one hundred fifteen million dollars, whichever is first.

(D) Any moneys collected in rates for non-low-income customer energy efficiency programs, as of October 5, 1999, and not contributed to the energy efficiency revolving loan fund authorized under this section prior to the effective date of its amendment by Sub. H.B. 251 of the 126th general assembly, January 4, 2007, shall be used to continue to fund cost-effective, residential energy efficiency programs, be contributed into the universal service fund as a supplement to that required under section 4928.53 of the Revised Code, or be returned to ratepayers in the form of a rate reduction at the option of the affected electric distribution utility.

Sec. 4928.62.  (A) There is hereby created the advanced energy program, which shall be administered by the director of development. Under the program, the director may authorize the use of moneys in the advanced energy fund for financial, technical, and related assistance for advanced energy projects in this state or for economic development assistance, in furtherance of the purposes set forth in section 4928.63 of the Revised Code. To the extent feasible given approved applications for assistance, the assistance shall be distributed among the certified territories of electric distribution utilities and participating electric cooperatives, and among the service areas of participating municipal electric utilities, in amounts proportionate to the remittances of each utility and cooperative under divisions (B)(1) and (3) of section 4928.61 of the Revised Code.

The director shall determine the amount of each grant based on the market price of energy and the advice of the public benefits advisory board under division (E)(2) of section 4928.58 of the Revised Code. The amount of each grant shall decrease annually in order to enable the program to fund an increasing number of grants.

The director shall not authorize financial assistance for an advanced energy project under the program unless the director first determines that the project will create new jobs or preserve existing jobs in this state or use innovative technologies or materials.

(B) In carrying out sections 4928.61 to 4928.63 of the Revised Code, the director may do all of the following to further the public interest in advanced energy projects and economic development:

(1) Award grants, contracts, loans, loan participation agreements, linked deposits, and energy production incentives;

(2) Acquire in the name of the director any property of any kind or character in accordance with this section, by purchase, purchase at foreclosure, or exchange, on such terms and in such manner as the director considers proper;

(3) Make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of the director's duties and the exercise of the director's powers under sections 4928.61 to 4928.63 of the Revised Code;

(4) Employ or enter into contracts with financial consultants, marketing consultants, consulting engineers, architects, managers, construction experts, attorneys, technical monitors, energy evaluators, or other employees or agents as the director considers necessary, and fix their compensation;

(5) Adopt rules prescribing the application procedures for financial assistance under the advanced energy program; the terms and conditions of any grants, contracts, loans, loan participation agreements, linked deposits, and energy production incentives; criteria pertaining to the eligibility of participating lending institutions; and any other matters necessary for the implementation of the program;

(6) Do all things necessary and appropriate for the operation of the program.

(C) The department of development may hold ownership to any unclaimed energy efficiency and renewable energy emission allowances provided for in Chapter 3745-14 of the Administrative Code or otherwise, that result from advanced energy projects that receive funding from the advanced energy fund, and it may use the allowances to further the public interest in advanced energy projects or for economic development.

(D) Financial statements, financial data, and trade secrets submitted to or received by the director from an applicant or recipient of financial assistance under sections 4928.61 to 4928.63 of the Revised Code, or any information taken from those statements, data, or trade secrets for any purpose, are not public records for the purpose of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(E) Nothing in the amendments of sections 4928.61, 4928.62, and 4928.63 of the Revised Code by Sub. H.B. 251 of the 126th general assembly shall affect any pending or effected assistance, pending or effected purchases or exchanges of property made, or pending or effected contracts or agreements entered into pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section as the section existed prior to the effective date of those amendments, January 4, 2007, or shall affect the exemption provided under division (C) of this section as the section existed prior to that effective date.

(F) Any assistance a school district receives for an advanced energy project, including a geothermal heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, shall be in addition to any assistance provided under Chapter 3318. of the Revised Code and shall not be included as part of the district or state portion of the basic project cost under that chapter.

Section 2. That existing sections 4928.58, 4928.61, and 4928.62 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.