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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2008
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Contact: Zach Goldberg
202-225-5801 (office) |
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HOLT: PROVIDE SCHOOLS WITH FUNDING ASSISTANCE TO BECOME ENERGY EFFICIENT
At House Education and Labor Committee Hearing on
Wednesday, Holt Touts “School Building Enhancement Act”
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(Washington, D.C.) – Helping schools become energy efficient could result in $2 billion in nationwide energy savings, which could be used instead for hiring new teachers or purchasing new textbooks, Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) told the House Committee on Education and Labor. Holt, a member of the Committee, testified at a hearing examining the current condition of the nation’s public school buildings. Holt focused on building, modernizing and creating energy-efficient school facilities and urged support for his “School Building Enhancement Act.” The legislation would provide schools with federal grant funding to invest in energy efficient upgrades. Energy bills are the second-highest operating expenditure for schools after personnel costs, with the annual spending by schools on energy increasing by $8 billion in 2007.
“By understanding where energy is used unwisely and implementing simple changes in the operations and maintenance of school buildings, a school’s operating costs can be reduced by 25 percent or more. Schools that are seeking even greater long term savings can retrofit their buildings with more efficient systems and replace old appliances,” Holt said. “However, cash strapped school systems are often unable to find the necessary financial resources to invest in these energy efficient upgrades. My bill would assist schools in making these improvements by making grants through the Department of Education.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 30 percent of energy consumed in buildings is used unnecessarily or inefficiently. Schools that successfully apply for a grant would need to make improvements that follow the guidelines of the EnergySmart Schools Program of the Department of Energy or the Energy Star for K-12 School Districts program at the EPA.
“Encouraging schools to go green will have positive, long-term results. Instead of pouring money into outdated, energy-consuming buildings, we could take that money and invest in new teachers and new textbooks,” Holt added.
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