Last week’s OSBA Sustainable Schools Conference was a good one, loaded with useful speakers and workshops (check out the online versions of the presentations at http://www.osba.org/sustain). Scott Nelson, Governor Kitzhaber’s Jobs and Economy Advisor, launched the conference with information about the new Energy Efficient Schools Fund (We have confirmed the information below with the Governor's office.)
NEW INFORMATION: The Governor’s Office will have a simple application packet that will be available to districts within the next month or two.
In his talk, Scott Nelson emphasized the desire for shovel-ready projects for the Summer of 2011 that can act as ‘proof of concept’ for Energy-Efficient Schools and serve as stepping stones for longer-term, more in-depth initiatives. He made a point of how investing in schools aligns with the Governor’s Four-Step plan for Oregon, channeling funds that build the state’s human capital while stimulating home-grown industries that make the state competitive in the world market.
Q: Will school districts actually be seeing more money? What about non-1149 districts?
A: Yes, there will be a larger pool of money for energy efficiency projects. There will also be funds made available to non-1149 districts, which will probably come in the form of low- or no-interest loans/grants.
Q: Will there be a competitive application process between school districts?
A: The allocation process will remain similar to that used for 1149 funds. The Governor’s Office is hoping to fast-track summer projects and is creating a simple application package that will be available within the next month or two. There may be some preferential criteria such as potential savings and geographic diversity.
Q: Will districts that have already borrowed against 1149 funds be able to take advantage of this new funding?
A: The Governor’s Office emphasized that it will not penalize districts that have already capitalized on 1149 funding, and there may well be additional funds available to them.
Q: How will the state encourage projects that will be ready by this summer? Will the state tighten or loosen the guidelines that apply to 1149 funds?
A: The state is planning to streamline the process by pre-approving a pool of regional contractors (local labor will be prioritized) and exerting a larger measure of control than will be used in subsequent years.
Preference will be given to districts that have summer projects that tie into a longer-term energy-efficiency strategy.
Guidelines will most likely stay the same, though there is the possibility that they will be tightened. Districts that already have a long-term plan can continue with it; those that do not will be provided with some easy options.
Q: Will the new guidelines force investment in buildings that would be better off replaced?
A: Energy audits are the first step. If you are in an 1149 district and have not yet had an audit, one should occur. If you are not eligible for an audit under 1149, funding for these audits has been authorized. There is no one-size-fits-all project that will make sense for all Oregon schools.
Q: What can schools do with these new funds that they can’t do under 1149?
A: The new funding will provide a pool of funds that districts can borrow against immediately. In other words, the monies will be available up front, in the form of a grant or low-interest loan (versus current reimbursement). The new bill would prioritize projects that give energy savings back to schools.
Q: How will this new fund affect districts that have already borrowed against 1149 funds?
A: Districts that have already borrowed against 1149 money will continue along their reimbursement schedule --- early adopters will NOT be penalized.
Q: My district has already been subject to a number of audits. When will we finally be able to implement projects?
A: This new initiative is all about implementation. While energy audits are a necessary first step, the Governor’s Office is committed to getting money to schools as quickly as possible for the actual implementation of projects.
Q: Will these new projects be monitored and managed to ensure that the energy savings will actually take place?
A: We acknowledge that energy management is an issue. While providing full-time monitoring would drastically increase the up-front costs of energy-saving projects, the state does have ten years worth of GIS tracking data that energy information about the state’s schools. This information should help us to ensure that our projects are effective.
