1. The department of economic development shall be vested with the powers and duties prescribed by law and shall have the power to carry out the following activities:

(1) Assessing the impact of national energy policies on this state‘s supply and use of energy and this state’s public health, safety and welfare;

(2) Consulting and cooperating with all state and federal governmental agencies, departments, boards and commissions and all other interested agencies and institutions, governmental and nongovernmental, public and private, on matters of energy research and development, management, conservation and distribution;

(3) The monitoring and analyzing of all federal, state, local and voluntarily disclosed private sector energy research projects and voluntarily disclosed private sector energy related data and information concerning supply and consumption, in order to plan for the future energy needs of this state. All information gathered shall be maintained, revised and updated as an aid to any interested person, foundation or other organization, public or private;

(4) Analyzing the potential for increased utilization of coal, nuclear, solar, resource recovery and reuse, landfill gas, projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, energy efficient technologies and other energy alternatives, and making recommendations for the expanded use of alternate energy sources and technologies;

(5) Entering into cooperative agreements with other states, political subdivisions, private entities, or educational institutions for the purpose of seeking and securing federal grants for the department and its partners in the grants;

(6) The development and promotion of state energy conservation programs, including:

(a) Public education and information in energy-related areas;

(b) Developing energy efficiency standards for agricultural and industrial energy use and for new and existing buildings, to be promoted through technical assistance efforts by cooperative arrangements with interested public, business and civic groups and by cooperating with political subdivisions of this state;

(c) Preparing plans for reducing energy use in the event of an energy or other resource supply emergency.

2. No funds shall be expended to implement the provisions of this section until funds are specifically appropriated for that purpose. In order to carry out its responsibilities under this section, the department may expend any such appropriated funds by entering into agreements, contracts, grants, subgrants, or cooperative arrangements under various terms and conditions in the best interest of the state with other state, federal, or interstate agencies, political subdivisions, not-for-profit entities or organizations, educational institutions, or other entities, both public and private, to carry out its responsibilities.