New York makes $100M available to expand clean energy upgrades in schools

The state of New York has made more than $100 million to provide public schools with the means to make meaningful clean energy upgrades. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) follows the state’s recent deployment of more than $41 million across five priority school districts. Applications are due by Aug. 18. 

The $100 million was awarded through the Clean Green School Initiative, designed to promote modern, energy-efficient solutions for educational buildings serving grades from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (PreK-12). Solutions delivered by this latest tranche of funding should modernize buildings, lower energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions and support resilient, healthy learning communities. 

Projects within disadvantages or underserved communities will receive higher priority through the program. The state will provide up to $10.1 million for multiple building projects and $5.1 million for single building projects. 

Eligible applicants include: 

• P-12 public school districts designated as Priority Districts. 
• P-12 public school buildings in disadvantaged communities. 
• Any Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) buildings in disadvantaged communities. 

The five priority school districts selected to split the $41 million allocation include the following: 

The City School District of Albany in Albany County received more than $10 million to install heat pumps for three buildings. The district upgraded supporting ventilation and filtration systems to further enhance air quality. In addition, the project vision calls for improving building envelopes and lighting across 15 buildings. Anticipated to reduce energy use in buildings by up to 20%, the project will promote the district’s clean energy educational activities in the curriculum. 

The state awarded more than $10 million to the Newburgh Enlarged City School District in Orange County to install ground source heat pump systems at two buildings. The project will fully electrify the HVAC systems and negate fossil fuel usage. Plans include upgrading the ventilation and filtration systems as part of the district’s efforts to reduce energy use in buildings by 55% and incorporate clean energy educational activities into the curriculum. 

The North Syracuse Central School District in Onondaga County will spend more than $10 million to install ground source heat pump systems and electrify the heating and cooling systems at two buildings. Alongside upgrading indoor ventilation and filtration systems, the district plans to include clean energy education activities in after-school programs and reduce energy use in the buildings by 50%. 

The Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns in Westchester County will use more than $10 million to install heat pumps in two buildings. In addition, the district will electrify hot water systems and kitchen equipment, improve lighting, upgrade ventilation and filtration systems and integrate clean energy education activities into the curriculum. The project will cut energy use in the buildings in half and significantly reduce fossil fuel usage. 

The final $1 million award will go to the Forestville Central School District in Chautauqua County. The project will install heat pumps and high-performance windows at two buildings. These efforts are expected to reduce energy use in the buildings by 10%. 

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