Community energy efficiency project requirements.

A. A county, municipality, Indian nation, tribe or pueblo or the New Mexico mortgage finance authority may submit an application to the department for a grant for a community energy efficiency project. B. An application shall: (1) describe the community energy efficiency project for which a grant is requested and how the project would support infrastructure improvements for affordable housing; (2) describe how the community energy efficiency project would benefit an underserved community in which it is located; (3) identify the targeted underserved community; (4) set forth the energy efficiency improvements to residential units located within an underserved community that meet the following eligibility criteria pursuant to Article 9, Section 14 of the constitution of New Mexico: (a) residential housing units occupied by low-income persons within an underserved community; or (b) residential housing units within an underserved community that otherwise meet the criteria for housing that is affordable to low-income persons as established by the department in rule; (5) propose a series of energy efficiency measures expected to reduce energy use in targeted households and the estimated reduction of energy use from the implementation of the measures; (6) identify a service provider that will implement the energy efficiency measures in targeted households and set forth the experience of the service provider in working with the targeted underserved community; (7) identify one or more community partners that will identify and work with targeted households to implement a community energy efficiency project in an underserved community and set forth the experience of the community partner in working with the targeted underserved community; (8) set forth any commitment by a service provider or community partner to employ apprentices from a registered apprenticeship program that promotes diversity or to provide paid internships to persons from the targeted underserved community; and (9) provide a project budget detailing anticipated expenditures and additional sources of funding that would complement a grant obtained pursuant to the Community Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant Act. C. Notwithstanding the application requirements of Subsection B of this section, the New Mexico mortgage finance authority may submit an application that: (1) describes the community energy efficiency project for which a grant is requested and how the project would support infrastructure improvements for affordable housing that would complement and not duplicate other energy efficiency programs in the state; (2) either meets the requirements of Paragraphs (2) through (4) of Subsection B of this section or sets forth the energy efficiency improvements to residential housing units, regardless of whether the residential housing units are located in an underserved community; provided that the residential housing units meet the eligibility criteria established by the New Mexico mortgage finance authority pursuant to Article 9, Section 14 of the constitution of New Mexico; and provided further that the application describes how energy efficiency improvements to the residential housing units will help to reduce the energy burden of low-income households that may not qualify for other energy efficiency programs in the state; (3) proposes a series of energy efficiency measures expected to reduce energy use in targeted households and the estimated reduction of energy use from the implementation of the measures; (4) identifies a service provider that will implement the energy efficiency measures in targeted households and sets forth the experience of the service provider in working with underserved communities; (5) identifies one or more community partners that will identify and work with targeted households and sets forth the experience of the community partner in working with underserved communities; and (6) provides a project budget detailing anticipated expenditures and additional sources of funding that would complement a grant awarded pursuant to the Community Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant Act. D. The department may require that applications meet additional criteria consistent with the goal of improving the energy efficiency, livability or public health and safety of affordable housing in underserved communities.