Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010

Bill: 111-s-3434
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2010-05-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Building construction
Business records
Consumer affairs
Consumer credit
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy prices
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Income tax credits
Indian social and development programs
Licensing and registrations
Lighting and heating
Lighting, heating, cooling
Performance measurement
Public-private cooperation
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2010-05-27
text: 
Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish: (1) the Home Star Retrofit Rebate Program to provide rebates to contractors to be passed through as discounts to homeowners who retrofit their homes to achieve energy savings; (2) a Federal Rebate Processing System to enable rebate aggregators to submit claims for reimbursement; and (3) a national retrofit website and public information campaign that provide information on the Program. Requires the Secretary to ensure that rebates are available to homeowners within 90 days of this Act's enactment. 
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a network of rebate aggregators that can facilitate the delivery of rebates to reimburse participating contractors and vendors; and (2) develop guidelines for states to allow utilities participating as rebate aggregators to count the energy savings from their participation toward state-level energy saving targets. Sets forth eligibility criteria for rebate aggregators.
 
Establishes: (1) a Silver Star Home Energy Retrofit Program to award rebates during the first year after this Act's enactment for the energy retrofit of a home for the installation of specified energy saving measures, including air-sealing and insulation measures, duct seal or replacement, window, door, skylight, or roof replacement, heating or cooling system replacement, water heater replacement, water temperature controllers, and window film installation; and (2) a Gold Star Home Energy Retrofit Program to award rebates for retrofits that achieve whole home energy savings. Authorizes Silver Star and Gold Star rebates to be provided for the same home under specified circumstances. 
 
Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) the amount of the rebates (up to $3,000 per home for Silver Star rebates or $8,000 per home for Gold Star rebates); and (2) the treatment of rebates for tax purposes (excluded from taxable income).
 
Requires a state that receives funding under this Act to submit to the Secretary a plan to implement a quality assurance program that covers all federally assisted residential efficiency retrofit work administered, supervised, or sponsored by the state.
 
Requires the Secretary to establish a Home Star Energy Efficiency Loan Program to make funds available to states to support financial assistance provided by qualified financing entities for making, to existing homes, energy efficiency improvements that qualify under the Silver Star or Gold Star programs. Terminates such program two years after this Act's enactment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-05-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4531-4539)
action_date: 2010-05-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4531)
action_date: 2010-05-27
text: Introduced in Senate