Rep. Courtney Votes to Support Increased Energy Efficiency in Schools, Cut Oil Consumption

Press Release

Congressman Joe Courtney, a member of the House Green Schools Caucus, voted in favor of H.R. 3021, The 21st Century High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act, legislation that will modernize our public school building in an effort to decrease the use of oil. The legislation passed last evening by a final vote of 250-164.

This legislation would make approximately $5,872,400 available to the State of Connecticut alone. Click here to watch Congressman Courtney as he debates the bill on the floor of the House of Representatives.

"This is an incredibly simple and effective way to begin cutting our nation's consumption of oil and reducing costs to taxpayers who are getting squeezed at gas stations and on their property tax bill," stated Courtney. "We have the technology and the mandate now to move forward towards building new energy efficient schools, while upgrading those that are in disrepair and outdated."

Congressman Courtney is an original member of the House Green School Caucus. The caucus brings together Members of Congress who share the same vision of improving public schools across the nation in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce oil consumption.

Congressman Courtney often cites Waterford Public Schools and the new Essex Library as models of public facilities embracing new and innovative technologies to reduce fuel consumption and reduce costs to taxpayers. Waterford Public Schools has announced its effort to become carbon neutral while the Essex library has installed a geothermal heating and cooling system.

The legislation encourages energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources in schools

- Requires the majority of funds (90 percent by 2013) be used for projects that meet green
building standards.

- Allows states to reserve one percent of funds to administer the program and to develop a plan
to create a statewide database of schools' facilities, modernization and repair needs, energy
uses, carbon footprints, and schools' energy efficiency quality plans.

- Requires school districts to publicly report the educational, energy and environmental
benefits of projects, how they comply with the green building requirements, and the
percentage of funds used for projects at low-income and rural schools.

- Requires the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to create a database of the best
practices in school construction and to provide technical assistance to states and school
districts regarding best practices.

The bill also provides schools with access to funding for modernization, renovation and repair projects

- Authorizes $6.4 billion for school construction projects for fiscal year 2009, and ensures that
school districts will quickly receive funds for school modernization, renovation, and repairs
that improve the teaching and learning climate, health and safety, and energy efficiency.

- Allocates the same percentage of funds to states and school districts that they receive under
Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, except that it guarantees
each such district a minimum of $5,000.

In 2006, the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University released a report about the energy efficiency of Connecticut schools.

The study showed that:

- Over 90 percent of Connecticut public schools were built before 1978, under building codes
that were not focused on energy efficiency

- In the 2006 school year, public schools in CT spent over $160 million in energy costs, forcing
schools to reallocate resources. Today, with oil and electricity prices even higher, schools are
feeling the squeeze.

- Analysis in 2006 found that if CT schools just raised their energy efficiency level to an average
of 50 on the Energy Star level, energy use could be reduced by 28 percent and schools
would save $46 million; and if raised to 75 on the Energy Star level, schools would use 42
percent less energy and savings would be $69 million (at 2006 energy rates)

At the end of June 2006, when this report was issued, the price of a barrel of oil was $65.

Source