Governor Jan Brewer Awards Stimulus Funds to Arizona School Districts for Energy Efficiency Projects

Press Release

Governor Jan Brewer today announced that 25 Arizona school districts will receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for energy efficiency projects at schools throughout the state. The funding is part of the $55,447,000 awarded to the Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office through the State Energy Program (SEP).

"This investment in our schools can have a significant, long-term impact by allowing more money to be directed at the Arizona classroom rather than on administrative costs," said Governor Brewer. "Preserving and streamlining the essential functions of state government will be critical to Arizona's job and budget recovery."

The grants will provide more than $12 million to fund energy efficiency projects for the qualifying school districts, which include lighting and HVAC upgrades. In October 2009, $4.2 million was awarded to 22 school districts for solar energy projects to install photovoltaic systems of up to 30KWdc. The School Facilities Board (SFB) is managing the energy efficiency grants for the state.

"The average payback for these projects is approximately eight years, which means the awards made today will save millions of dollars in energy costs in the coming years," said Dean Gray, Interim Executive Director of the School Facilities Board. "The money saved can be moved directly into the classroom."

The School Facilities Board conducted a competitive selection process to award grant funding for 30 percent of the project cost up to $1 million per school district and received 105 applications from 44 school districts. The district will be responsible for 70 percent of the project cost either through performance contracting or any available local funds. The criteria for project selection were life-cycle payback, energy savings measured by unit reduction, energy savings measured by dollar reduction and impact on the school utility budget.

The following school districts were chosen to receive funds: Altar Valley Elementary (20 miles west of Tucson), Balsz Elementary (Phoenix), Chandler Unified, Chinle Unified (Navajo Nation), Chino Valley Unified, Crane Elementary (Yuma), Dysart Unified (Surprise), Florence Unified, Fort Thomas Unified (San Carlos Apache Reservation), Fountain Hills Unified, Ganado Unified (Navajo Nation), Gilbert Unified, Higley Unified (Gilbert), Isaac Elementary (Phoenix), Marana Unified, Mesa Unified, Pinon Unified (Navajo Nation), Queen Creek Unified, Roosevelt Unified (Phoenix), Sahuarita Unified, Sierra Vista Unified, Tanque Verde Unified (Tucson), Toltec Elementary (Eloy), Tucson Unified and Winslow Unified.

"In these days of shrinking budgets, saving energy wherever possible makes great economic sense," said Jim Arwood, Director of the State Energy Office. "Lowering utility bills at schools by more than $5.6 million a year means a great deal to Arizona taxpayers."

The State Energy Program ARRA funds allocated to Arizona are being used to fund solar energy and energy efficiency improvements on public buildings throughout the state as well as supplementing utility company incentives for consumers who install renewable energy technologies. As projects are completed, any remaining funds will be used to award additional projects.

For more information, please visit the State of Arizona's Recovery Act website at www.azrecovery.gov.

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