23-1519_P3

LRB-1519/P3

MIM:cjs&amn

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

DOA:......Sherwin, BB0362 - Office of Environmental Justice, Risk Assessment and Resiliency Plans; Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy

For 2023-2025 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction

An Act ...; relating to: the budget.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

state government

General state government

Creating the Office of Environmental Justice

This bill creates the Office of Environmental Justice within DOA. The office is led by a director outside the classified service who is appointed by the secretary of administration.

The duties of the office include all of the following: 1) developing a statewide climate risk assessment and resiliency plan; 2) assisting state agencies, local governments, and tribal governments with the development of climate risk assessment and resiliency plans; 3) administering a climate risk assessment and resiliency plan technical assistance grant program; 4) collaborating with state agencies and entities that serve vulnerable communities to address the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities; 5) providing guidance to state entities on issues regarding environmental justice and related community issues to address environmental issues and concerns that affect primarily low income and minority communities; and 6) creating an annual report on issues, concerns, and problems related to environmental justice. The bill also creates the unclassified positions of chief resiliency officer and director of the Office of Environmental Justice. Under the bill, the chief resiliency officer and the director of the Office of Environmental Justice are assigned to executive salary group 3.

This bill makes an appropriation for the administration of the Office of Environmental Justice and the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy and for the chief resiliency officer.

This bill also makes an appropriation for the climate risk assessment and resiliency plan technical assistance grant program.

Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy

This bill creates the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy in DOA to administer certain energy programs. The bill requires the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy to work on initiatives with specified goals regarding clean and renewable energy, innovative sustainability, and diversification of energy resources and imposes duties on the office for advising, supporting, reporting, and assisting state agencies, local governments, and private entities on clean and renewable energy. The bill allows the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy to provide technical assistance to governmental units and private entities. In addition, the bill requires the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy to establish a program for making grants for clean energy production research. This bill also makes an appropriation for grants for clean energy production research.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1 . 15.105 (34) of the statutes is created to read:

15.105 (34) Office of environmental justice. There is created in the department of administration an office of environmental justice. The office shall be under the direction and supervision of a director, who shall be appointed by the secretary of administration to serve at the pleasure of the secretary.

Section 2 . 15.105 (35) of the statutes is created to read:

15.105 (35) Office of sustainability and clean energy. There is created in the department of administration an office to be known as the office of sustainability and clean energy.

Section 3. 16.035 of the statutes is created to read:

16.035 Office of environmental justice. The office of environmental justice shall do all of the following:

(1) Develop a statewide climate risk assessment and resiliency plan.

(2) Assist state agencies, local governments, and federally recognized tribal governing bodies in this state with the development of climate risk assessment and resiliency plans.

(3) Administer a climate risk assessment and resiliency plan technical assistance grant program.

(4) Collaborate with state agencies and entities that serve vulnerable communities to address the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.

(5) Analyze grant opportunities and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations and, based on those analyses and input from residents of this state, advise and provide guidance to state entities on environmental justice and related community issues to address environmental issues and concerns that affect primarily low income and minority communities.

(6) Based on the analyses required under sub. (5), create an annual report on issues, concerns, and problems related to environmental justice, including addressing areas of this state that have environmental justice issues that require immediate attention.

Section 4 . 16.954 of the statutes is created to read:

16.954 Office of sustainability and clean energy. (1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Office” means the office of sustainability and clean energy.

(b) “Public utility” has the meaning given in s. 196.01 (5).

(2) Initiatives. The office shall work on initiatives that have the following goals:

(a) Promoting the development and use of clean and renewable energy across this state.

(b) Advancing innovative sustainability solutions in ways that improve this state's economy and environment, including energy initiatives that reduce carbon emissions, accelerate economic growth, and lower customer energy costs.

(c) Diversifying the resources used to reliably meet the energy needs of consumers in this state and generate family-supporting jobs through the expansion of this state's clean energy economy.

(3) Other duties. The office shall do all of the following:

(a) Provide advice and support to state agencies in developing or retrofitting sustainable infrastructure to reduce energy use and lessen negative impacts on this state's air and water quality.

(b) Study and report on the status of existing clean and renewable energy efforts by the state, including economic development initiatives, and develop future energy policy opportunities for consideration by the governor and state agencies.

(c) Serve as a single point of contact to assist businesses, local units of government, and nongovernmental organizations that are pursuing clean energy opportunities.

(d) Identify and share information about clean energy funding and employment opportunities for private and state and local governmental entities.

(e) Take other steps necessary to facilitate the implementation of the initiatives specified in sub. (2) and to identify and address barriers to the implementation of those initiatives.

(4) Clean energy grants. The office shall establish a program for making grants from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (cm) to fund research in support of clean energy production.

(5) Technical assistance. (a) The office may provide technical assistance to local governmental units and private entities to assist in the planning and implementation of energy efficiency and renewable resources and may charge for those services. The office may request technical and staff assistance from other state agencies in providing technical assistance to those units of government and private entities.

(b) The office may require a public utility to provide energy billing and use data regarding public schools, if the office determines that the data are necessary to provide technical assistance under par. (a) in public schools, including those with the highest energy costs.

(c) The office shall consult with the public service commission in implementing this subsection.

Section 5. 20.505 (1) (cf) of the statutes is created to read:

20.505 (1) (cf) Climate risk assessment and resiliency plan technical assistance grants. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for the climate risk assessment and resiliency plan technical assistance grants under s. 16.035 (3).

****Note: This Section involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.

Section 6. 20.505 (1) (fz) of the statutes is created to read:

20.505 (1) (fz) Office of environmental justice; office of sustainability and clean energy; administration. The amounts in the schedule for the administration of the office of environmental justice and the office of sustainability and clean energy and for the chief resiliency officer.

****Note: This Section involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.

Section 7 . 20.505 (4) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

20.505 (4) (cm) Clean energy grants. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for grants under s. 16.954 (4).

****Note: This Section involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.

Section 8 . 20.923 (4) (c) 1s. of the statutes is created to read:

20.923 (4) (c) 1s. Administration, department of: chief resiliency officer.

Section 9 . 20.923 (4) (c) 1t. of the statutes is created to read:

20.923 (4) (c) 1t. Administration, department of: director of the office of environmental justice.

Section 10 . 230.08 (2) (ya) of the statutes is created to read:

230.08 (2) (ya) The director of the office of environmental justice in the department of administration.

Section 11 . 230.08 (2) (yf) of the statutes is created to read:

230.08 (2) (yf) The chief resiliency officer in the department of administration.

(End)