42 U.S.C. § 16193 — National Building Performance Initiative

(a) Interagency group. (1) Within 90 days of August 8, 2005, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy must establish an interagency group to develop, working with the advisory committee from (e), a National Building Performance Initiative (called the "Initiative"). (2) The interagency group is co-chaired by officials from the Department of Energy and the Department of Commerce, who together arrange the administrative support the group needs. (b) Integration of efforts. The Initiative must integrate federal, state, and voluntary private-sector efforts to reduce the cost of constructing, operating, maintaining, and renovating commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential buildings. (c) Plan. (1) Within 1 year of August 8, 2005, the interagency group must submit to Congress a plan for the appropriate federal role in the Initiative. (2) The plan must include: (A) research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of energy technology systems and materials for new construction and retrofits relating to the building envelope and building system components; (B) research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of energy technology and infrastructure enabling buildings and equipment to run efficiently and automatically; and (C) collecting, analyzing, and sharing research results and other useful information on building performance with industry, government, and the public. (d) Department of Energy role. Within the federal part of the Initiative, the Department of Energy is the lead agency for everything related to using and conserving energy in buildings. (e) Advisory committee. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy must establish an advisory committee to (1) analyze and recommend potential ways the private sector could participate in the Initiative, and (2) review and recommend changes to the plan described in (c). (f) Administration. Nothing in this section gives any federal agency new authority to regulate building performance.