1. (a) The authority will evaluate and rank grant applications, with priority for funding based upon each of the following criteria:

   1. (1) whether the applicant and commercial building meet the eligibility requirements;
   2. (2) the annual energy use intensity of the commercial building, as described in (c) of this section;
   3. (3) geographical distribution of grants;
   4. (4) whether cost savings and efficiencies may be obtained if the energy audit is conducted in conjunction with another state program because the commercial building is located in a community where one or more Association of Energy Engineers certified energy auditors or certified energy managers or authority-approved equivalents will travel under 3 AAC 108.400 - 3 AAC 108.499 (village energy efficiency program) or another state program.
2. (b) To the extent applicants are evenly ranked under (a) of this section, grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

3. (c) The authority will determine a commercial building's annual energy use intensity by evaluating the amount of energy used by a building on a per square foot basis. The authority will give priority to an applicant whose commercial building uses more energy per square foot compared to commercial buildings of other applicants within the same category of building type. The authority will classify a commercial building into one of the following five categories of building type, with each individual building type defined as set out in the building type definitions section of the Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey:

   1. (1) food sales, food service, and inpatient healthcare;
   2. (2) lodging, public assembly, outpatient healthcare, and office;
   3. (3) mercantile, service, and education;
   4. (4) religious worship, and warehouse and storage;
   5. (5) other.

(Eff. 9/25/2013, Register 207)

Authority: AS 44.83.080