(a) The Energy Commission, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and the Public Utilities Commission, shall establish guidelines for the following:

1. (1) Standard methods for estimating energy benefits, including reasonable assumptions for current and future costs of energy, and guidelines to compute the cost of energy saved as a result of implementing eligible projects funded by this chapter.
2. (2) Contractor qualifications, licensing, and certifications appropriate for the work to be performed, provided that the Energy Commission shall not create any new qualification, license, or certification pursuant to this subparagraph.

3. (3) Project evaluation, including the following:

   1. (A) Benchmarks or energy rating systems to select best candidate facilities.
   2. (B) Use of energy surveys or audits to inform project opportunities, costs, and savings.
   3. (C) Sequencing of facility improvements.
   4. (D) Methodologies for cost-effectiveness determination.
4. (4) To ensure that adequate energy audit, measurement, and verification procedures are employed to ensure that energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions occur as a result of any funding provided pursuant to this section. The Energy Commission shall develop a simple preinstallation verification form that includes project description, estimated energy savings, expected number of jobs created, current energy usage, and costs. The Energy Commission may develop benchmarking and other innovative facility evaluation systems in coordination with the University of California.
5. (5) Achievement of the maximum feasible energy efficiency or clean energy benefits, as well as job creation benefits for Californians, resulting from projects implemented pursuant to this chapter.
6. (6) Where applicable, ensuring LEAs assist classified school employees with training and information to better understand how they can support and maximize the achievement of energy savings envisioned by the funded project.

(d) The Energy Commission shall adopt the guidelines in accordance with this section at a publicly noticed meeting and provide an opportunity for public comment. The Energy Commission shall provide written public notice of a meeting at least 30 days prior to the meeting.

1. (1) For substantive revision of the guidelines, the Energy Commission shall provide written notice of a meeting at least 15 days prior to the meeting at which the revision is to be considered or adopted.
2. (2) The adoption or revision of guidelines pursuant to this division is exempt from Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(e) Each participating LEA shall prioritize the eligible projects within its jurisdiction taking into consideration, as applicable, at least the following factors:

1. (1) The age of the school facilities, as well as any plans to close or demolish the facilities.
2. (2) The proportion of pupils eligible for funds under Title I of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.) at particular schoolsites.
3. (3) Whether the facilities have been recently modernized.
4. (4) The facilities’ hours of operation, including whether the facilities are operated on a year-round basis.
5. (5) The school’s energy intensity as determined from an energy rating or benchmark system such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star system or other acceptable benchmarking approach that may be available from local utilities, the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., or reputable building analysis software as is appropriate to the size, budget, and expertise available to the school.
6. (6) The estimated financial return of each project’s investment over the expected lifecycle of the project, in terms of net present value and return on investment.
7. (7) Each project’s potential for energy demand reduction.
8. (8) The anticipated health and safety improvements or other nonenergy benefits for each project.
9. (9) The individual or collective project’s ability to facilitate matriculation of local residents into state-certified apprenticeship programs.
10. (10) The expected number of trainees and direct full-time employees likely to be engaged for each LEA’s annual funding commitments based upon a formula to be made available by the Energy Commission or California Workforce Investment Board. The formula shall be stated as labor-intensities per total project dollar expended, and may differentiate by type of improvement, equipment, or building trade involved.
11. (11) The ability of the project to enhance workforce development and employment opportunities, utilize members of the California Conservation Corps, certified local conservation corps, Youth Build, veterans, Green Partnership Academies, nonprofit organizations, high school career technical academies, high school regional occupational programs, or state-certified apprenticeship programs, or to accommodate learning opportunities for school pupils or at-risk youth in the community.