(a) Created. There is an Office of Energy and Sustainability in the Department of General Services.
(b) Duties. The Office must:
(1) develop an energy baseline, energy unit savings plan, and energy cost savings plan for the County’s building portfolio;
(2) develop a comprehensive plan to reduce the energy consumption and impact of fleet operations, which may include the use of alternative fuels, reductions vehicle miles traveled, improvements in vehicle efficiency, or vehicle electrification strategy;
(3) execute plans to use Energy Performance Contracting to improve the efficiency of County buildings, as authorized by the Director of General Services;
(4) develop and execute the County’s renewable energy plans, including the purchase of renewable energy and deployment of solar and other clean energy sources across County facilities,
(5) coordinate with the Office of Procurement to develop green and environmentally preferable purchasing plans;
(6) develop initiatives, plans, and projects to reduce the environmental impact of County operations and foster a culture of sustainability within the County Government; and
(7) prepare and submit data summarizing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of County operations to any annual Sustainability report prepared by the County Executive in collaboration with other Departments and Agencies.
(c) Annual report. By February 1 each year, the Office must submit to the County Council an annual report on:
(1) its activities, accomplishments, plans, and objectives;
(2) actions taken to reduce the energy consumption and impact of fleet operations;
(3) the use of biodiesel fuels in County vehicles, results of the sport utility vehicle inventory, and the average fuel economy for passenger vehicles and light trucks in the County fleet as required under Section 18A-23; and
(4) steps taken in the preceding year to implement the energy unit savings plan and energy cost savings plan for the County’s portfolio of buildings as required under Section 8-14B. (2014 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1.)