Definitions — Us Code Code § 8259

Us Code Code § 8259 — Definitions. Reproduced from the official United States Code, with a citation summary, verification link, and related provisions.

§ 8259. Definitions

For the purposes of this part—

(1) the term "agency" has the meaning given it in section 551(1) of title 5;

(2) the term "construction" means new construction or substantial rehabilitation of existing structures;

(3) the term "cogeneration facilities" has the same meaning given such term in section 796(18)(A) of title 16;

(4) the term "energy conservation measures" means measures that are applied to a Federal building that improve energy efficiency and are life cycle cost effective and that involve energy conservation, cogeneration facilities, renewable energy sources, improvements in operations and maintenance efficiencies, retrofit activities, or energy consuming devices and required support structures;

(5) the term "energy survey" means a procedure used to determine energy and cost savings likely to result from the use of appropriate energy related maintenance and operating procedures and modifications, including the purchase and installation of particular energy-related equipment and the use of renewable energy sources;

(6) the term "Federal building" means any building, structure, or facility, or part thereof, including the associated energy consuming support systems, which is constructed, renovated, leased, or purchased in whole or in part for use by the Federal Government and which consumes energy; such term also means a collection of such buildings, structures, or facilities and the energy consuming support systems for such collection;

(7) the term "life cycle cost" means the total costs of owning, operating, and maintaining a building over its useful life (including such costs as fuel, energy, labor, and replacement components) determined on the basis of a systematic evaluation and comparison of alternative building systems, except that in the case of leased buildings, the life cycle costs shall be calculated over the effective remaining term of the lease;

(8) the term "renewable energy sources" includes, but is not limited to, sources such as agriculture and urban waste, geothermal energy, solar energy, and wind energy; and

(9) the term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Energy.

(Pub. L. 95–619, title V, §551, formerly §549, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3280; Pub. L. 100–615, §2(a), Nov. 5, 1988, 102 Stat. 3188; renumbered §551, Pub. L. 102–486, title I, §152(h)(1), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2848; amended Pub. L. 105–388, §5(c)(5), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3479; Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title I, §1002(b), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2422.)


Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 551 of Pub. L. 95–619 was classified to section 8261 of this title prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 100–615.

Amendments

2020—Par. (4). Pub. L. 116–260 substituted "retrofit activities, or energy consuming devices and required support structures" for "or retrofit activities".

1998—Par. (8). Pub. L. 105–388 substituted "geothermal" for "goethermal".

1988—Pub. L. 100–615 amended section generally, substituting provisions relating to definitions for Federal energy management for former provision relating to budget treatment of energy conserving improvements by Federal agencies.

About This Section

42 U.S.C. § 8259 is part of Title 42 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

This section may be cited in legal writing as 42 U.S.C. § 8259. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.

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Sources

Source: official Us Code text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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