143-64.10. Findings; policy.

(a) The General Assembly finds all of the following:

(1) That the State shall take a leadership role in aggressively undertaking the conservation of energy, water, and other utilities in North Carolina.

(2) That State facilities and facilities of State institutions of higher learning have a significant impact on the State's consumption of energy, water, and other utilities.

(3) That practices to conserve energy, water, and other utilities that are adopted for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and renovation of these facilities and for the purchase, operation, and maintenance of equipment for these facilities will have a beneficial effect on the State's overall supply of energy, water, and other utilities.

(4) That the cost of the energy, water, and other utilities consumed by these facilities and the equipment for these facilities over the life of the facilities shall be considered, in addition to the initial cost.

(5) That the cost of energy, water, and other utilities is significant and facility designs shall take into consideration the total life-cycle cost, including the initial construction cost, and the cost, over the economic life of the facility, of the energy, water, and other utilities consumed, and of operation and maintenance of the facility as it affects the consumption of energy, water, or other utilities.

(6) That State government shall undertake a program to reduce the use of energy, water, and other utilities in State facilities and facilities of the State institutions of higher learning and equipment in those facilities in order to provide its citizens with an example of energy-use, water-use, and utility-use efficiency.

(b) It is the policy of the State of North Carolina to ensure that practices to conserve energy, water, and other utilities are employed in the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and renovation of State facilities and facilities of the State institutions of higher learning and in the purchase, operation, and maintenance of equipment for these facilities.