GEFA news quarterly, Apr. 2012

GEFA NEWS QUARTERLY APRIL 2012 VOLUME VII

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Changes to the Land Conservation Tax Credit Program 1

GEFA Lends Expertise to

Gwinnett Technical College

2

Governor's Water Supply Program

Holds Workshops

3

The Fuel Storage Tank Program

Protects Land and Wildlife

on Sapelo Island

3

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO THE LAND CONSERVATION TAX CREDIT PROGRAM
Georgia's Land Conservation Tax Credit received some notable revisions during this year's legislative session. House Bill 386 (also known as the "Georgia Jobs and Family Tax Reform Act") standardizes eligible conservation donations while reducing the potential for inappropriate use. Changes to the program include:
Land conservation donations must now meet at least two conservation purposes. Eligible conservation purposes are re-defined as protecting:
water quality; wildlife habitat; outdoor recreation; prime agricultural or forestry lands; and cultural sites, heritage corridors or archeological and historic resources.
Effective January 1, 2014, eligible non-governmental donation recipients must be
accredited by the Land Trust Alliance.
The maximum tax credit for partnership donors was dropped from $1 million to $500,000. Appraisals must undergo a formal review process by the State Properties Commission. Other changes institute more specific requirements for conservation donations, a $5,000
application fee, a five-year waiting period between subdivided donations, a limit of one tax credit transfer, a prohibition on local governments accepting donations outside their jurisdictions, and a prohibition against `double dipping' with associated federal deductions.
Georgia's Land Conservation Tax Credit offers a financial incentive for willing landowners to donate land or place a permanent conservation easement on their property. Taxpayers can claim a credit against their state income tax of up to 25 percent of the fair market value of the donated property, subject to an individual maximum of $250,000 and a corporate maximum of $500,000. The property must be donated to a government entity or to a qualified nonprofit organization, and must meet the state's conservation purposes. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is responsible for certifying that donated property meets these conservation purposes and that the property is being donated to a qualified organization.
To date, the conservation tax credit has incentivized the permanent protection of more than 116,000 acres in Georgia. For more information, visit www.glcp.georgia.gov.

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GEFA NEWS QUARTERLY APRIL 2012 VOLUME VII

GEFA LENDS EXPERTISE TO GWINNETT TECHNICAL COLLEGE'S BUILDING OPERATOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

GEFA's State Utilities Program Engineer PJ Newcomb, is currently sharing his knowledge and expertise through the Building Operation Certification (BOC) program courses he's teaching at Gwinnett Technical College (GTC). Nationally recognized, GTC's BOC program has trained more than 200 facility managers throughout the state and is the first of its kind in Georgia.

The BOC is a competency-

based training and certification

program that gives facility

managers improved job skills

and knowledge to create and

sustain comfortable, energy-

efficient and environmentally-

friendly buildings and facilities.

Facility managers earn

certification by attending

training classes on a variety

of topics, including electrical

and lighting systems,

heating, ventilation, and air

conditioning (HVAC) systems,

indoor air quality and energy

GEFA's PJ Newcomb

conservation. The facility

Teaches BOC Course

managers come away from

the program able to facilitate large energy efficiency and indoor air quality

improvement projects. Employers throughout the country recognize the BOC

program's credentials as a sign of the value certified personnel can bring to their

organizations. As a result of the advanced training the program provides, BOC

operators' average annual energy savings for their facilities are estimated to be

172,000 kWh per year, equivalent to $12,000 annually at national electricity

rates. And 50 percent of professionals who receive the BOC certification

report increased career opportunities after completing the program.

GTC's BOC program offers both Level 1 and Level 2 certification. The Level 1 Building Systems Maintenance Program requires that facility managers have two or more years' experience in building operation

and maintenance. Past participants have included building engineers, maintenance supervisors, facility coordinators, HVAC technicians, electricians and operations supervisors. The Level 2 Equipment Troubleshooting & Maintenance Program requires completion of Level 1 and four years' work experience.
Click here for more information on GTC's BOC program.
For more information on the BOC, click here.
GREENPRINTS CONFERENCE
GEFA co-sponsored the Greenprints Conference with Southface, which took place March 7- 8 at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta. Now in its 16th year, Greenprints is a high-level discussion on sustainability, energy conservation and environmental responsibility. GEFA State Utilities Program Engineer PJ Newcomb co-presented Where Does It All Go: Energy Tracking for Local Governments with John Bracey with Southface, Rick Counihan with EnerNoc and Caughey Hearn with Evans County, and discussed accurate energy tracking and measurement.
A popular session, Energy Program Speed Dating: Peer Exchange for Local Governments, was designed to give local government grant recipients the opportunity to come together to share best practices and lessons learned. The topic areas included multi-jurisdictional partnerships, financial incentive programs for energy efficiency (residential/commercial), renewable energy technologies, building energy tracking, and energy efficiency and conservation planning.
GEFA also hosted a series of workshops during the Greenprints conference. The topics ranged from featuring successful energy projects from around the state to providing information to local governments on how to find alternative funding for energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects as American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant funding ends this year. Click here to view the conference presentations.

2

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GEFA NEWS QUARTERLY APRIL 2012 VOLUME VII

3

GOVERNOR'S WATER SUPPLY PROGRAM HOLDS WORKSHOPS
INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER CONSERVATION PROJECTS APPROVED

GEFA and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) hosted three workshops in March designed to assist parties interested in learning how to make the best case for their projects and successfully complete the Governor's Water Supply Program (GWSP) application. The workshops were held in Lawrenceville, Macon and Tifton, Ga. For more information on the GWSP, visit www.gefa.org.
GEFA partners with local governments by providing loans for projects that protect the environment, ensure a safe and adequate water supply and facilitate economic development. The GEFA board of directors and executive committee recently approved several large environmental infrastructure projects. Cobb County was awarded a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan of $35,000,000 to finance phase six of a project to upgrade the South Cobb Water Reclamation Facility. GEFA previously approved $165 million for the first five phases of this project, which includes the South Cobb Tunnel. Franklin County was awarded a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $2,500,000 to finance construction of a new well, replace an elevated water storage tank, add new water lines, and install new meters, billing software and purchase emergency generators and telemetry.

The GEFA board of directors and executive committee approved several water conservation projects last quarter. The GEFA board of directors approved a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan of $2,750,000 to the city of Moultrie that will finance installing remote-read water meters and energy-efficient wastewater pumps at its treatment plant. The city of Thomasville received a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan of $1,200,000 to finance replacing old water meters, purchasing leak detection equipment, and installing new energy-efficient water pumps at three high-service pump stations.
In February, the GEFA executive committee approved a DWSRF loan of $1,800,000 to Upson County, which will finance replacing old water main, conducting leak detection and repair, and replacing existing water meters with an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system.

THE FUEL STORAGE TANK PROGRAM PROTECTS LAND AND WILDLIFE ON SAPELO ISLAND

The Fuel Storage Tank Program recently replaced underground storage tank components at two Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) locations on Sapelo Island. Only 11 miles in length, this small barrier island is a unique destination along Georgia's famed "Colonial Coast." Approximately 97 percent of the island is owned by the state of Georgia and is managed by DNR, with the rest under private ownership. Sapelo Island is home to the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR), which is part of NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve system (NERR), and the University of Georgia Marine Institute. The Reynold's Mansion also lies on the south end of the island.

Fuel Storage Tank replacement on Sapelo Island, Ga.

The equipment at DNR's Wildlife Resources Division's Meridian Boat Dock and the fuel station on Sapelo Island was severely deteriorated because of the harsh saltwater environment. GEFA facilitated replacing the old containment pumps and installed all new pumping components, metal conduits and other equipment. The new equipment will prevent potential fuel system failures and dramatically reduce potential environmental hazards in the future.

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