Maine
Public Utilities Commission
NEWS RELEASE
Maine
Public Utilities Commission
242 State Street
Augusta, Maine 04333-0018
Website: http://www.maine.gov/mpuc/,
Email: maine.puc@maine.gov
CONTACT: Lydia Perez, 207.287.7343, lydia.perez@maine.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2003
Maine Launches School
Construction Energy Efficiency Program
Seeks Program Contractor To
Assist With Energy Savings In New School Design
AUGUSTA, ME – The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) and the Maine School Management Association (MSMA) today announced that they are joining forces to launch the Maine High Performance Schools Program, an initiative to improve the energy efficiency of new public schools in Maine. The program is designed to boost energy savings while reducing school operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions, all by encouraging the adoption of the latest in energy efficient school design and construction practices.
The High Performance Schools Program offers local school building teams a combination of technical and financial assistance, training and outreach. The program was developed because funding for new school construction is limited, and cost-effective efficiency measures, which pay for themselves in the long-run, are not always included in the budgets for new school construction projects.
Program financial assistance includes grants for design and implementation of
energy efficient measures. Training includes seminars for architects, engineers,
and local school officials on the latest high performance design principles,
energy efficient equipment, and construction techniques.
This
initiative is the latest in a series of offerings from Efficiency Maine,
a new energy efficiency program operated under a 2002 law directing the PUC to
implement programs to promote efficient electricity use throughout Maine. According to PUC Chairman Tom Welch, “The
High Performance Schools Program should cut unnecessary energy consumption,
reduce school operating expenses, and free up local tax dollars for important
educational purposes such as textbooks, computers, and teacher salaries.”
Participating
schools receive design assistance grants of up to $40,000 to help incorporate
energy efficiency into their plans.
Schools receiving design assistance may also be eligible, in a second
phase, for Implementation Assistance Grants of up to $200,000 per school. Half of the funding for the grant program is
from the PUC energy efficiency fund, and the other half from the Department of
Education’s project budget for a Major Capital Improvement project.
The
Maine Department of Education is responsible for overseeing the design and
construction of approximately five to ten new public schools each year. According to Department of Education
Commissioner Susan Gendron, “High Performance Schools will serve our
communities better by providing a better learning environment at lower
cost. This program is a priority for us
as we all look for ways to make the most of our limited public education
resources.”
Eligible schools are those currently on the State Board of Education’s Special Priority List that have not yet received concept approval. In addition, K-12 public schools that are being built without State support, and that are in a similar stage of development, are also eligible for partial funding.
According
to Gerald Clockedile of the Maine School Management Association, “High
Performance Schools is a critical initiative because we rely on our public
school buildings for decades, often longer, and this program provides an
opportunity to build in lower building operating costs, right from the start.”
The PUC will be obtaining the services of a program technical advisor to review plans for new schools and provide energy efficiency technical advice and assistance. This contractor will work with MDOE to develop technical guidance and provide other program services.
For more information on the High Performance Schools Program, contact Dale Doughty at MSMA, 207-622-3473, or bdoug@tdstelme.net
For more information on the Maine PUC’s other electric energy efficiency programs, or to get involved in the development of on-going efficiency programs, contact the PUC at 287-3831 or toll-free at 1-800-452-4699, or visit the PUC website at http://www.maine.gov/mpuc/.
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For more information:
All PUC New Releases
maybe found on our website at: http://www.state.me.us/mpuc/newsreleases2002.htm
To arrange an interview with Chairman Welch or Commissioners Nugent or Diamond, please contact Phil Lindley at 207.287.1598 or by e-mail at phil.lindley@maine.gov. The Commission’s website may be accessed through the Maine School and Library Network at all public libraries in Maine.