(a) Where not otherwise authorized by another provision of general law or local Act, a governmental unit may enter into a guaranteed energy savings performance contract with a qualified provider in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The provisions of this chapter shall apply only to contracts entered into by a governmental unit pursuant to the authority granted by this chapter.

(b) Reserved.

(c) When a governmental unit is acting pursuant to the power granted by this chapter and not under any otherwise applicable law, the process of implementing guaranteed energy savings performance contracts for governmental units shall be subject to the following:

(1) The authority shall be authorized to assemble a list of prequalified energy services providers. The director shall attempt to use objective criteria in the selection process. The criteria for evaluation shall include the following factors to assess the capability of the qualified energy services provider in the areas of design, engineering, installation, maintenance, and repairs associated with guaranteed energy savings performance contracts: postinstallation project monitoring, data collection, and verification of and reporting of savings; overall project experience and qualifications; management capability; ability to access long-term sources of project financing; experience with projects of similar size and scope; and other factors determined by the director to be relevant and appropriate and relate to the ability to perform the project. The prequalification term of the established list of qualified energy services providers shall be three years. The director may add additional qualified energy services providers to the list of qualified energy services providers at any time during the prequalification term. A qualified energy services provider may be removed from the list upon a determination by the director that said qualified energy services provider fails to meet the criteria for continued inclusion; and

(2) Before entering into a guaranteed energy savings performance contract under this chapter, a governmental unit that is a state agency shall issue a request for proposals from at least three qualified energy services providers on the prequalifications list prepared and maintained by the director. Before entering into a guaranteed energy savings performance contract under this chapter, a governmental unit that is a county, municipality, or other local governmental entity shall be required to issue a request for proposals from at least two qualified energy services providers if such providers are available. In addition, a local governmental entity shall publicly advertise the energy services contract opportunity and post notice of such opportunity in the local governmental entity's office and, if available, on the governmental entity's Internet website. A local governmental entity shall not be required to request proposals from providers on the prequalifications list maintained by the director or otherwise be required to utilize the authority's list of prequalified energy services providers.

(3) A governmental unit may thereafter award the guaranteed energy savings performance contract to the qualified energy services provider that best meets the needs of the governmental unit, which need not be the lowest cost provided. A preliminary technical proposal shall be prepared by the qualified energy services provider in response to the request for proposals. Factors to be included in selecting the most qualified energy services provider for award of the guaranteed energy savings performance contract shall include, but not be limited to, the experience of the provider, quality of the project approach, type of technology employed by the provider, overall benefits to the governmental unit, and other factors determined by the governmental unit to be relevant to the implementation of the project.

(d) The governmental unit shall select the qualified energy services provider that best meets the needs of the governmental unit in accordance with criteria established by the governmental unit.

(e) Before executing the guaranteed energy savings performance contract, the qualified energy services provider shall provide the governmental unit with an energy audit report summarizing recommendations for energy conservation measures based on anticipated energy, operational water, or waste-water cost savings or revenue increases resulting from the energy conservation measures. The energy audit report shall include estimates of all costs of installation, maintenance, repairs, and debt service and estimates of the amounts by which energy or operating costs will be reduced.

(f) A governmental unit may enter into guaranteed energy savings performance contracts with each qualified energy services provider selected in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The governmental unit may elect to implement the energy conservation measures in one or more phases with the selected qualified energy services provider.