(a) The commissioner, acting on behalf of the state, may, with respect to loans for which funds have been authorized by the State Bond Commission prior to July 1, 1992, in his discretion make low-cost loans or deferred loans to residents of this state for the purchase and installation in residential structures of insulation, alternative energy devices, energy conservation materials and replacement furnaces and boilers, approved in accordance with regulations to be adopted by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. In the purchase and installation of insulation in new residential structures, only that insulation which exceeds the requirements of the State Building Code shall be eligible for such loans or deferred loans. The commissioner may also make low-cost loans or deferred loans to persons in the state residing in dwellings constructed not later than December 31, 1995, and for which the primary source of heating since such date has been electric resistance, for (1) the purchase and installation of a high-efficiency secondary heating system using a source of heat other than electric resistance, (2) the conversion of a primary electric heating system to a high-efficiency system using a source of heat other than electric resistance, or (3) the purchase and installation of a high-efficiency combination heating and cooling system. As used in this subsection, “high-efficiency” means having a seasonal energy efficiency ratio of 11.0 or higher, or a heating season performance factor of 7.2 or higher, as designated by the American Refrigeration Institute in the Directory of Certified Unitary Air Conditioners, Air Source Heat Pumps and Outdoor Unitary Equipment, as from time to time amended, or an equivalent ratio for a fossil fuel system.

(b) Any such loan or deferred loan shall be available only for a residential structure containing not more than four dwelling units, shall be not less than four hundred dollars and not more than twenty-five thousand dollars per structure and, with respect to any application received on or after November 29, 1979, shall be made only to an applicant who submits evidence, satisfactory to the commissioner, that the adjusted gross income of the household member or members who contribute to the support of his household was not in excess of one hundred ten per cent of the median area income by household size. In the case of a deferred loan, the contract shall require that payments on interest are due immediately but that payments on principal may be made at a later time. Repayment of loans made under this subsection shall be subject to (1) a rate of interest (A) of zero per cent for loans for natural gas furnaces or boilers that meet or exceed federal Energy Star standards and propane and oil furnaces and boilers that are not less than eighty-four per cent efficient or as may otherwise be provided in subsection (a) of section 16a-46e, or (B) to be determined in accordance with subsection (t) of section 3-20 and this subsection for loans for other purposes, and (2) such terms and conditions as the commissioner may establish. The State Bond Commission shall establish a range of rates of interest payable on loans pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection and shall apply the range to applicants in accordance with a formula which reflects their income. Such range shall be not less than zero per cent for any applicant in the lowest income class and not more than one per cent above the rate of interest borne by the general obligation bonds of the state last issued prior to the most recent date such range was established for any applicant for whom the adjusted gross income of the household member or members who contribute to the support of his household does not exceed one hundred ten per cent of the median area income by household size.

(c) The commissioner shall establish a program under which he shall make funds deposited in the Energy Conservation Loan Fund available for low-cost loans or deferred loans under subsection (a) of this section for residential structures containing more than four dwelling units, or for contracts guaranteeing payment of loans or deferred loans provided by private institutions for such structures for the purposes specified under subsection (a) of this section. Any such loan or deferred loan shall be an amount equaling not more than three thousand five hundred dollars multiplied by the number of dwelling units in such structure, provided no such loan or deferred loan shall exceed one hundred thousand dollars. If the applicant seeks a loan or deferred loan for a structure containing more than thirty dwelling units, he shall include in his application a commitment to make comparable energy improvements of benefit to all dwelling units in the structure in addition to the thirty units which are eligible for the loan or deferred loan. Applications for contracts of guarantee shall be limited to structures containing not more than thirty dwelling units and the amount of the guarantee shall be not more than three thousand dollars for each dwelling unit benefiting from the loan or deferred loan. There shall not be an income eligibility limitation for applicants for such loans, deferred loans or guarantees, but the commissioner shall give preference to applications for loans, deferred loans or guarantees for such structures which are occupied by persons of low or moderate income. Repayment of such loans or deferred loans shall be subject to (1) a rate of interest (A) of zero per cent for loans for natural gas furnaces or boilers that meet or exceed federal Energy Star standards and propane and oil furnaces and boilers that are not less than eighty-four per cent efficient or as may otherwise be provided in subsection (a) of section 16a-46e, or (B) to be determined in accordance with subsection (t) of section 3-20 for loans for other purposes, and (2) such terms and conditions as the commissioner shall establish. The state shall have a lien on each property for which a loan, deferred loan or guarantee has been made under this section to ensure compliance with such terms and conditions.

(d) With respect to such loans made on or after July 1, 1981, all repayments of principal shall be deposited into the Energy Conservation Loan Fund established pursuant to section 16a-40a. The interest applicable to any such loans made shall be paid to the State Treasurer for deposit in the General Fund.

(e) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54, (1) concerning qualifications for such loans or deferred loans, requirements and limitations as to adjustments of terms and conditions of repayment and any additional requirements deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this section and to assure that those tax-exempt bonds and notes used to fund such loans or deferred loans qualify for exemption from federal income taxation, (2) providing for the maximum feasible availability of such loans or deferred loans for dwelling units owned or occupied by persons of low and moderate income, (3) establishing procedures to inform such persons of the availability of such loans or deferred loans and to encourage and assist them to apply for such loans or deferred loans, and (4) providing that (A) the interest payments received from the recipients of loans or deferred loans made on and after July 1, 1982, less the expenses incurred by the commissioner in the implementation of the program of loans, deferred loans and loan guarantees under this section, and (B) the payments received from electric distribution and gas companies under subsection (f) of this section shall be applied to reimburse the General Fund for interest on the outstanding bonds and notes used to fund such loans or deferred loans made on or after July 1, 1982.

(f) Not later than August first, annually, the commissioner shall calculate the difference between (1) the weighted average of the percentage rates of interest payable on all subsidized loans made (A) after July 1, 1982, from the Energy Conservation Loan Fund, and (B) from the Housing Repayment and Revolving Loan Fund pursuant to this section, and (2) the average of the percentage rates of interest on any bonds and notes issued pursuant to section 3-20, which have been dedicated to the energy conservation loan program and used to fund such loans, and multiply such difference by the outstanding amount of all such loans, or such lesser amount as may be required under Section 103(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended. The product of such difference and such applicable amount shall not exceed six per cent of the sum of the outstanding principal amount at the end of each fiscal year of all loans or deferred loans made (A) on or after July 1, 1982, from the Energy Conservation Loan Fund, and (B) from the Housing Repayment and Revolving Loan Fund pursuant to this section, and the balance remaining in the Energy Conservation Loan Fund and the balance of energy conservation loan repayments in the Housing Repayment and Revolving Loan Fund. Not later than September first, annually, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall allocate such product among each electric distribution and gas company having at least seventy-five thousand customers, in accordance with a formula taking into account, without limitation, the average number of residential customers of each company. Not later than October first, annually, each such company shall pay its assessed amount to the commissioner. The commissioner shall pay to the State Treasurer for deposit in the General Fund all such payments from electric distribution and gas companies, and shall adopt procedures to assure that such payments are not used for purposes other than those specifically provided in this section. The authority shall include each company's payment as an operating expense of the company for the purposes of rate-making under section 16-19.

(P.A. 79-509, S. 3, 5; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 79-10, S. 2, 4; P.A. 81-306, S. 1, 4; P.A. 82-369, S. 7, 28; P.A. 83-427, S. 2; P.A. 85-601, S. 2–4, 8; P.A. 86-189, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-416, S. 12, 24; 87-578, S. 1–4, 6; P.A. 88-220, S. 6, 11; P.A. 89-211, S. 28; 89-312, S. 1, 2; P.A. 90-238, S. 26, 27, 32; P.A. 92-166, S. 29, 31; 92-208, S. 1, 6; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-7, S. 31, 36; P.A. 93-435, S. 4, 95; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 05-191, S. 5; P.A. 07-64, S. 1; 07-242, S. 80; Aug. Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-2, S. 6; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; 11-140, S. 20; P.A. 13-234, S. 63; 13-298, S. 29; P.A. 14-134, S. 106.)

History: Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 79-10 placed income ceiling of $30,000 average for loan applicants as of November 29, 1979; P.A. 81-306 divided section into two subsecs. and in Subsec. (a) added provisions making loan fund revolving and in Subsec. (b) raised maximum income eligibility for loans from $30,000 to $33,000 per year; P.A. 82-369 relettered and added subsections, made technical changes in Subsec. (a), increased from $33,000 to $45,000 the eligibility limit for loans for residential structures containing not more than four dwelling units and added provisions re range of interest rates for such loans in Subsec. (b), added Subsec. (c) providing for pilot program for loans and loan guarantees for residential structures containing more than four dwelling units, clarified loan repayment provisions in Subsec. (d), required in Subsec. (e) that regulations be adopted re qualification of bonds and notes used for loans for exemption from federal income taxation, availability of loans for persons of low and moderate income, and reimbursement of general fund for interest on outstanding bonds and notes used to fund loans made on or after July 1, 1982, added Subsec. (f) re payments by electric and gas companies, and added Subsec. (g) re report to general assembly on pilot program; P.A. 83-427 amended Subsec. (b) to vary loan limits in accordance with size of structure and amended Subsec. (c) to require that not less than 10% nor more than 25% of funds deposited in loan fund be made available for pilot program, instead of 10%, and to increase the limit on loans under pilot program from $700 to $1,000 per unit; P.A. 85-601 amended Subsec. (a), authorizing loans to be made for purchase and installation of replacement furnaces and boilers, limiting amount of funds to be allocated for such loans during fiscal year ending June 30, 1986, and authorizing loans to be made to persons residing in certain electrically heated dwellings for purchase of nonelectric secondary systems or conversion to nonelectric systems, amended Subsec. (c), increasing from 10 to 30 the number of dwelling units in a structure eligible for loans and loan guarantees and limiting the amount of funds to be allocated for such loans during fiscal year ending June 30, 1986, amended Subsec. (e) re regulations re application of interest payments to program implementation expenses and to reimbursement of general fund and amended Subsec. (f), clarifying calculation of electric and gas company assessment; P.A. 86-189 amended Subsec. (a) to repeal limit on allocation for loans for replacement furnaces and boilers, amended Subsec. (c) to repeal provision basing loan amount on number of dwelling units benefiting from loan and replacing with $30,000 loan limit and to repeal limit on allocation for loans and contracts guaranteeing loans in amounts greater than $10,000 and amended Subsec. (g) to require new report to general assembly; P.A. 87-416 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that the interest rates on loans would be determined by the state bond commission in accordance with Subsec. (t) of Sec. 3-20; P.A. 87-578 increased the limit for loans for residential structures containing not more than four dwelling units to $6,000 and made technical changes re income requirements in Subsec. (b), eliminated fiscal year 1986-1987 allocation requirement and added lien provision in Subsec. (c), and made technical changes in Subsecs. (c) and (f); P.A. 88-220 deleted provision for repayment, before 1981, of principal and interest on loans in Subsec. (d) and made the reporting requirement in Subsec. (g) annual; P.A. 89-211 clarified reference to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; P.A. 89-312 amended Subsec. (f)(2) to refer to bonds dedicated to energy conservation loan program rather than to bonds issued pursuant to Secs. 16a-40c and 16a-40k; P.A. 90-238 revised provisions re administrative expenses, state service fees and allocation of moneys in various housing funds in Subsecs. (d) and (f); P.A. 92-166 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that, in the case of a deferred loan, payments on principal are due immediately but that payments on interest may be made at a later time and to amend Subsecs. (a) and (c) to (g), inclusive, to make technical changes consistent with 1992 public acts; P.A. 92-208 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re loans for which funds have been authorized by the state bond commission prior to July 1, 1992, and amended Subsec. (d) to require the annual transfer of any balance in the fund after July 1, 1992, to the energy conservation revolving loan account created pursuant to Sec. 32-317; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-7 amended Subsec. (d) to provide that payments shall be prior to the calculations required under Subsec. (f) of this section and Sec. 32-317(f); P.A. 93-435 added references to “deferred loans”, in Subsec. (e), effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Housing with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 05-191 made technical changes in Subsecs. (e) and (f) and deleted former Subsec. (g) re annual report by Commissioner of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 07-64 amended Subsec. (a) by specifying purposes of a loan in new Subdivs. (1) to (3), deleting former provision re primary source of heating and defining “high-efficiency”, amended Subsec. (b) by raising loan amount to $15,000, and applying highest loan interest range to households at 150% of median income, amended Subsec. (c) by increasing multiplier for loan amount for structures with four or more dwelling units to $2,000, with a maximum amount of $60,000, and increasing multiplier for loan amount for structures with more than 30 dwelling units to $3,000, and made technical changes in Subsec. (d); P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (b) to delete exception re Subsec. (c) and to increase maximum loan limit from $15,000 to $25,000, effective June 4, 2007; Aug. Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-2 amended Subsec. (b) to increase income eligibility requirements from 150% to 200% of median area income by household size, to add Subdiv. (1)(A) re 0% interest loans for certain furnaces or boilers, regardless of income, to make interest rates in Subdiv. (1)(B) applicable to loans for other purposes and to make conforming changes and amended Subsec. (c) to add Subdiv. (1)(A) re 0% interest loans for certain furnaces or boilers, to make interest rates in Subdiv. (1)(B) applicable to loans for other purposes and to make conforming changes, effective August 26, 2008; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (a) and “Department of Public Utility Control” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” in Subsec. (f), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-140 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing requirements for repayments of principal to first be deposited into Housing Repayment and Revolving Loan Fund and then transferred to Energy Conservation Loan Fund with requirement for repayments to be deposited directly into Energy Conservation Loan Fund, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-234 amended Subsec. (f) by deleting former Subdivs. (1)(B) and (2)(B) re loans from the Home Heating System Loan Fund and redesignating existing Subdivs. (1)(C) and (2)(C) as Subdivs. (1)(B) and (1)(C), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-298 amended Subsec. (a) to replace December 31, 1979, with December 31, 1995, re date by which dwellings must be constructed to qualify for low-cost loans or deferred loans, amended Subsec. (b) to decrease from 200% to 110% of median area income the maximum adjusted gross income of household members, and amended Subsec. (c) to increase from $2,000 to $3,500 the amount to be multiplied by the number of dwelling units and to increase from $60,000 to $100,000 the maximum amount for low-cost loans or deferred loans, effective July 8, 2013; P.A. 14-134 amended Subsecs. (e) and (f) by replacing references to electric company with references to electric distribution company, effective June 6, 2014.