Agricultural Buildings Exempt from Energy Use Requirements

Under current law, owners of certain large buildings (covered buildings) are required to annually collect and report each covered building's energy use to the Colorado energy office.

The act clarifies that agricultural buildings are not covered buildings, and therefore, owners of agricultural buildings are exempt from the energy use collecting and reporting requirements. The act defines an agricultural building as a building or structure used to house agricultural implements, hay, unprocessed grain, poultry, livestock, or other agricultural products or inputs primarily for the purpose of maintaining or operating an agricultural process. Agricultural implements include certain agricultural equipment and do not include implements that are primarily for rent or sale.

The act permits an owner of an agricultural building to submit for an affirmative exemption from any requirement to report benchmarking data and for an exemption to remain valid until there is a change in ownership or a change that renders the building no longer an agricultural building. For the duration of an exemption, the owner of an agricultural building is required to certify, upon request, the exemption status of an exempt building.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)