640.653. 1. An application for loan funds or other financialassistance may be submitted to the department for the purpose of financingall or a portion of the costs incurred in implementing an energyconservation project. The application shall be accompanied by a technicalassistance report. The application and the technical assistance reportshall be in such form and contain such information, financial or otherwise,as prescribed by the department. This section shall not preclude anyapplicant or borrower from joining in a cooperative project with any otherlocal government or with any state or federal agency or entity in an energyconservation project; provided that, all other requirements of sections640.651 to 640.686 are met.
2. Eligible applications shall be assigned a payback score derivedfrom the application review performed by the department. Applicationsshall be selected for loans and financial assistance beginning with thelowest payback score and continuing in ascending order to the highestpayback score until all available program funds have been obligated withinany given application cycle. The selection criteria may be applied persector or entity to assure equity pursuant to section 640.674. In no caseshall a loan or financial assistance be made to finance an energy projectwith a payback score of less than six months or more than ten years oreighty percent of the expected useful life of the energy conservationmeasures when the expected useful life exceeds ten years. Repaymentperiods are to be determined by the department. Applications may beapproved for loans or financial assistance only in those instances wherethe applicant has furnished the department information satisfactory toassure that the project cost will be recovered through energy cost savingsduring the repayment period of the loan or financial assistance. In nocase shall a loan or financial assistance be made to an applicant unlessthe approval of the governing board or body of the applicant to the loanagreement is obtained and a written certification of such approval isprovided, where applicable.
3. The department shall approve or disapprove all applications forloans or financial assistance which are sent by certified or registeredmail or hand delivered and received by the department's division of energyon, or prior to, the ninetieth day following the date of application cycleclosing. Any applications which are not acted upon by the department bysuch date shall be deemed to be approved as submitted.
4. The department of elementary and secondary education shall beprovided a summary of all proposed public elementary and secondary schoolprojects for review within fifteen days from the application deadline.Once projects have been reviewed and selected for loans or financialassistance by the department, the department of elementary and secondaryeducation shall have thirty days to certify that those projects selectedfor loans or financial assistance are consistent with related stateprograms for public education facilities.
5. The department of health and senior services shall be provided asummary of all proposed hospital projects for review within fifteen daysfrom the application deadline. Once projects have been reviewed andselected for loans or financial assistance by the department of naturalresources, the department of health and senior services shall have thirtydays to certify that those projects selected for loans or financialassistance are consistent with related health requirements for hospitalfacilities.
6. The coordinating board for higher education shall be provided asummary of all proposed public higher education facility projects forreview within fifteen days from the application deadline. Once projectshave been reviewed and selected for loans and financial assistance by thedepartment, the coordinating board for higher education shall have thirtydays to certify that those projects selected for loans or financialassistance are consistent with related state programs for educationfacilities.
(L. 1995 H.B. 414, A.L. 2002 S.B. 810)