Section 34-1436 - Renewable Energy Development Fund(a) There is established a fund designated as the Renewable Energy Development Fund, which shall be separate from the General Fund of the District of Columbia and shall be used solely for the purposes set forth in this section. All fees, payment, investment earnings, or other funds received, and all interest on the funds, shall be deposited into the Fund without regard to fiscal year limitation and shall not any time be transferred to, or lapse into, or be commingled with the General Fund of the District of Columbia or any other fund or account of the District of Columbia, except as delineated in this section. The Fund shall be continually available for the uses and purposes set forth in subsection (c) of this section.(b)(1) The Fund established by this section shall be administered by DOEE. The DOEE may receive and review applications for loans, grants, rebates, and other financial incentives for eligible projects from the Fund. Except as provided in subsection (c)(1)(F) of this section, loans, grants, rebates, and other financial incentives for eligible projects from the Fund shall be distributed in the following order: (A) To qualifying applicants who are certified business enterprises as defined in § 2-218.02(1D);(B) To qualifying applicants who are [not] certified business enterprises as defined in § 2-218.02(1D).(2) On or before May 1 of every year, the DOEE shall provide the Council with a report detailing the number of qualified certified business enterprises that received loans, grants, rebates, and other financial incentives from the Fund. The report shall also include the eligible project or projects for which the certified business enterprise received funding.(c)(1) The Fund shall be used for the purpose of:(A) Supporting the creation of new solar energy sources in the District, including activities that support the use of solar energy sources, such as electrical upgrades, structural improvements, and the installation of electrical or thermal storage systems;(A-i) Supporting projects or programs that increase climate change resilience in the District; provided, that each such project or program includes a solar energy component or uses solar energy generated in the District;(B) Funding the Solar for All Program established by § 8-1774.16;(C) Otherwise administering the Fund;(D) Covering any costs to the District associated with implementing the Renewable Portfolio Standard Expansion Amendment Act of 2016, October 8, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-154);(E) For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017, and ending September 30, 2018, supporting the DOEE operating budget; (F) In Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, transferring up to $7 million per year to the Green Finance Authority to support sustainable projects and programs that include support for the creation of new solar energy sources in the District, and associated administrative costs, if such transfer is included in an approved budget and financial plan;(G)(i) In fiscal year 2020, up to $250,000 shall be used by DOEE to engage an independent third party to conduct a comprehensive study to help DOEE and building owners better understand the potential for cost impacts and benefits of the Building Energy Performance Standards Program, required pursuant to § 8-1772.21, to District residents and property owners, or owners of large buildings and affordable housing.[;] The study shall include case studies for different property types of buildings.[;](ii) In creating the specifications for the study, DOEE shall seek the advice of the Building Energy Performance Standards Task Force, established pursuant to § 6-1451.09(h).[;](H) Covering any costs to the District associated with implementing §§ 34-1431(10) and 34-1432(c)(9) -(31); and(I) In fiscal year 2020, up to $250,000 shall be provided to the District Department of Transportation to prepare the comprehensive clean vehicle transition plan required by § 50-921.24;(J) In fiscal year 2020, up to $250,000 shall be provided to the Department of General Services to be used to prepare the strategic energy management plan required by § 8-1772.22 ; and(K) Covering any costs to the District associated with implementing the Local Solar Expansion Amendment Act of 2022, passed on 2nd reading on December 20, 2022 (Enrolled version of Bill 24-950);(L) Beginning in fiscal year 2026, transferring funding, in an amount to be determined by DOEE in its discretion, to the Energy Assistance Trust Fund for the purpose of expanding access to the District's low-income utility assistance programs;(M) Beginning in fiscal year 2025, supporting programming to increase awareness of the Solar for All program and to increase the number of residents enrolled in the District's low-income utility assistance programs, in an amount no greater than $150,000 per year; and(N) Beginning in fiscal year 2025, providing up to $100,000 per year to fund the triennial study of local solar policy benefits and costs required under section 8 a, which may be used by the contractor selected pursuant to section 8 a at any time during the 3-year period of the study.(2) The Fund may be used to supplement programs supporting the creation of new solar energy sources in the District through the Sustainable Energy Utility contract established by subchapter II of Chapter 17N of Title 8.(d) Proceeds for the Fund shall be collected from the following:(1) Compliance fees paid under § 34-1434;(2) Payments received in repayment of a loan;(3) Investment earnings of the Fund; and(4) Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.(e) The DOEE shall establish the eligibility criteria for projects supported by the Fund. The DOEE may allow the use of money of the Fund for administrative expenses related to the Fund and project review and oversight.(f) The DOEE shall provide to the Council a quarterly report detailing: (1) Expenditures from the Renewable Energy Development Fund; and(2) The performance of programs or projects funded by the Renewable Energy Development Fund.(g) Any compliance fees paid into the Fund by an electricity supplier that were charged to the District of Columbia government through a cost recovery surcharge authorized in § 34-1435(c) shall be transferred from the Fund to the General Fund of the District of Columbia and used to cover any surcharge owed by the District of Columbia government.Amended by D.C. Law 24-314,§ 2, 69 DCR 015080, eff. 3/10/2023.Amended by D.C. Law 24-167,§ VI-C-6022, 69 DCR 009223, eff. 9/21/2022.Apr. 12, 2005, D.C. Law 15-340, § 8, 52 DCR 2285; Oct. 22, 2008, D.C. Law 17-250, § 301(d), 55 DCR 9225; Sept. 24, 2010, D.C. Law 18-223, § 1112, 57 DCR 6242; Oct. 20, 2011, D.C. Law 19-36, § 2(c), 58 DCR 6837; Feb. 26, 2015, D.C. Law 20-155, § 6063, 61 DCR 9990; Oct. 8, 2016, D.C. Law 21-154, § 2(d), 63 DCR 10138; Oct. 8, 2016, D.C. Law 21-160, § 6043(c), 63 DCR 10775; Dec. 13, 2017, D.C. Law 22-33, § 9012, 64 DCR 7652; Aug. 22, 2018, D.C. Law 22-155, § 605(e), 65 DCR 7159; Mar. 22, 2019, D.C. Law 22-257, § 101(d), 66 DCR 1344.Applicability of D.C. Law 19-36: Section 3 of D.C. Law 19-36, as amended by D.C. Law 20-245, § 3, provided that the act (a) shall apply as of July 12, 2011; and (b) shall not apply to contracts entered into before August 1, 2011, provided that, for a contract entered into before August 1, 2011, the act shall apply to an extension or renewal of that contract executed on or after August 1, 2011.