---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 8259"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "8259"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/8259"
units:
  - "Chapter 91 — National Energy Conservation Policy"
  - "Subchapter III — Federal Energy Initiative"
  - "Part B — Federal Energy Management"
---

# §8259. Definitions


For the purposes of this part—

- (1) the term “agency” has the meaning given it in [section 551(1) of title 5](/usc/5/551.md?p=1);
- (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](/usc/16/796.md?p=18-A);
- (4) the term “energy conservation measures” means measures that are applied to a [Federal building](/usc/42/8241.md?p=2) that improve [energy efficiency](/usc/42/6291.md?p=5) and are [life cycle cost](#7) effective and that involve [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) conservation, [cogeneration facilities](#3), [renewable energy sources](#8), improvements in operations and maintenance efficiencies, retrofit activities, or [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) consuming devices and required support structures;
- (5) the term “energy survey” means a procedure used to determine [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) and cost savings likely to result from the use of appropriate [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) related maintenance and operating procedures and [modifications](/usc/42/7501.md?p=4), including the purchase and installation of particular [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7)-related equipment and the use of [renewable energy sources](#8);
- (6) the term “[Federal building](/usc/42/8241.md?p=2)” means any [building](/usc/42/6881.md?p=i-3), structure, or [facility](/usc/42/11049.md?p=4), or part thereof, including the associated [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) 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](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7); such term also means a collection of such [buildings](/usc/42/6881.md?p=i-3), structures, or [facilities](/usc/42/11049.md?p=4) and the [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) consuming support systems for such collection;
- (7) the term “life cycle cost” means the total costs of owning, operating, and maintaining a [building](/usc/42/6881.md?p=i-3) over its useful life (including such costs as fuel, [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7), labor, and replacement components) determined on the basis of a systematic evaluation and comparison of alternative [building](/usc/42/6881.md?p=i-3) systems, except that in the case of leased [buildings](/usc/42/6881.md?p=i-3), 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](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7), solar [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7), and wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7); and
- (9) the term “[Secretary](/usc/42/8241.md?p=6)” means the [Secretary](/usc/42/8241.md?p=6) of [Energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7).

## Source credit

(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.)

## Notes

### 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.