093_HB3546

 
                                     LRB093 09033 LRD 09265 b

 1        AN ACT in relation to energy.

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

 4        Section 5.  The  Energy  Assistance  Act  is  amended  by
 5    changing Section 7 as follows:

 6        (305 ILCS 20/7) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 1407)
 7        Sec. 7.  State Weatherization Plan and Program.
 8        (a)  The  Department  shall,  after consultation with the
 9    Policy Advisory Council, prepare  and  promulgate  an  annual
10    State  Weatherization  Plan  beginning  in  the year this Act
11    becomes effective.  To  the  extent  practicable,  such  Plan
12    shall  provide  for  targeting  use of both State and federal
13    weatherization funds to the households of eligible applicants
14    pursuant to this Act whose ratios of energy costs  to  income
15    are the highest.  The State Weatherization Plan shall include
16    but need not be limited to the following:
17             (1)  a     description     of     the    demographic
18        characteristics  and  energy  use  patterns   of   people
19        eligible for assistance pursuant to this Act;
20             (2)  the  methodology  used  by  the  Department  in
21        targeting weatherization funds;
22             (3)  a   description  of  anticipated  activity  and
23        results for the year covered by the  Plan,  including  an
24        estimate  of  energy cost savings expected to be realized
25        by the weatherization program; and
26             (4)  every  third  year,  beginning  in   2002,   an
27        evaluation  of results from the weatherization program in
28        the year preceding the plan year, including the effect of
29        State  Weatherization  Program  investments   on   energy
30        consumption  and  cost  in  the  population  eligible for
31        assistance pursuant  to  this  Act,  and  the  effect  of
 
                            -2-      LRB093 09033 LRD 09265 b
 1        targeted  weatherization  investments on the costs of the
 2        energy assistance program authorized by this Act.
 3        (b)  The   Department   shall   implement    the    State
 4    Weatherization  Plan by rule through a program which provides
 5    targeted weatherization assistance to eligible applicants for
 6    energy assistance pursuant  to  this  Act.   In  distributing
 7    weatherization  assistance  moneys, the Department shall give
 8    priority to eligible applicants who are customers of  systems
 9    that  assess an Energy Assistance Charge.  The Department may
10    enter into such contracts and other arrangements  with  local
11    agencies as may be necessary for the purpose of administering
12    the weatherization program.
13    (Source: P.A. 92-690, eff. 7-18-02.)