2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE THREE - Executive (§§ 1 — 9311) › Chapter 114 - Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Special Fiscal and Operational Sustainability Act (§§ 9101 — 9153) › Subchapter III - Budget Measures For The Judicial Branch, Legislative Branch And Other Government Entities (§§ 9131 — 9134) › § 9134 - Energy and aqueduct and sewer services consumption reduction plan in the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the University of Puerto Rico

No electric power service special or preferential rates shall be established for the Entities of the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the University of Puerto Rico. They shall promote the wise and efficient use of public utilities. In order to achieve the objectives and meet the requirements of the current fiscal emergency which demands the responsible and effective use of the limited government resources, the duty of all the Entities of the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the University of Puerto Rico of reducing the consumption of public utilities services such as electric power, as well as aqueduct and sewer, is hereby reasserted. The term Entities of the Legislative Branch and the Judicial Branch shall include every agency or body attached thereto or that is part of the Legislative Branch or the Judicial Branch, respectively.
Regarding the efficient use of electric power, it is hereby provided that all Entities of the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the University of Puerto Rico shall faithfully meet the energy conservation requirements established in §§ 1053—1053b of Title 22, known as the “Puerto Rico Energy Transformation and Relief Act”. The Entities of the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the University of Puerto Rico are hereby authorized to request to the Commonwealth Energy Public Policy Office (CEPPO) an adjustment in the energy baseline consumption, according to consumed kilowatt-hour, in light of the additional burden entailed by new facilities or buildings, or improvements to existing buildings, provided that CEPPO certifies that the additional burden entailed by new facilities or buildings or improvements has been certified to be efficient under the parameters established by CEPPO through regulations. CEPPO shall adopt regulations as are necessary to enforce these requirements.
During the effective term of this subchapter, with respect to the Entities of the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the University of Puerto Rico, whose operating expenses are defrayed totally or partially from the General Fund, the base rate of aqueduct and sewer services in effect on July 1st, 2014, shall not be increased, unless modified by subsequent legislation. The rate provided in Section 8 of Joint Resolution No. 16-2013, whose terms are hereby reasserted and ratified retroactively to the effective date thereof, shall be deemed to be the rate in effect as of July 1st, 2014.
Furthermore, with respect to aqueduct and sewer consumption, the Entities of the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the University of Puerto Rico, whose operating expenses are defrayed totally or partially from the General Fund, shall reduce their expenditures in connection with aqueduct and sewer consumption by five percent (5%) annually for the years 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17 to show a total reduction of fifteen percent (15%) in those three (3) years. The reduction percentage shall be computed using as basis the aqueduct and sewer consumption for the year 2012-13. By petition of the Entities of the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, or the University of Puerto Rico, the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority may authorize a variation in the baseline consumption of aqueduct and sewer in light of the additional demand of new facilities and buildings.
History —June 17, 2014, No. 66, § 27.