The Secretary may make grants to the State agency responsible for developing State energy conservation plans under section 6322 of this title, or, if no such agency exists, a State agency designated by the Governor of the State, to assist units of local government in the State in improving the energy efficiency of public buildings and facilities—

(1) through construction of new energy efficient public buildings that use at least 30 percent less energy than a comparable public building constructed in compliance with standards prescribed in the most recent version of the International Energy Conservation Code, or a similar State code intended to achieve substantially equivalent efficiency levels; or

(2) through renovation of existing public buildings to achieve reductions in energy use of at least 30 percent as compared to the baseline energy use in such buildings prior to renovation, assuming a 3-year, weather-normalized average for calculating such baseline.

State energy offices receiving grants under this section shall—

(1) maintain such records and evidence of compliance as the Secretary may require; and

(2) develop and distribute information and materials and conduct programs to provide technical services and assistance to encourage planning, financing, and design of energy efficient public buildings by units of local government.

For the purposes of this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010. Not more than 10 percent of appropriated funds shall be used for administration.

(Pub. L. 109–58, title I, § 125, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 618.)