Press Release

Massachusetts Launches $15 Million Green Schools Program
Communities can save money, help the environment, and create healthier schools

BOSTON, MA (May 11, 2007) – Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) Executive Director Mitchell Adams and Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Chairman Treasurer Tim Cahill and MSBA Executive Director Katherine Craven today announced new funding that will help communities conserve energy and use clean energy technologies to power schools.

MTC’s Renewable Energy Trust is offering $15 million in grants to fund solar electric and wind installations at schools that meet new guidelines for energy efficiency. The $15 million will be available through the MTC Green Schools Initiative as design and construction grants to those school districts approved for MSBA construction assistance. In addition to the MTC grants, MSBA will award qualifying communities an additional 2% of the approved, eligible project costs for certified high-performance “green” schools.

“Green is clearly the way to go for every new school project in Massachusetts,” said Adams. “Conserving energy and tapping clean power sources like the sun will help cash-strapped communities save money and provide healthier learning environments for students.”

Grants from the Renewable Energy Trust will help communities design and install solar panels, wind turbines, and other clean energy technologies. The Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School is the first to receive an award under the new program. It is using a $340,000 grant to design and install a new 30-kilowatt solar array on the roof. The school was certified by MTC and the MSBA as a green school.

"I am proud to be part of this program," said Treasurer Tim Cahill, who serves as the Authority's chairman. "The MTC grants and regulations put forth by the MSBA offer a fiscally responsible, environmentally sound blueprint for future school construction."

“This is an exciting time for school building construction in Massachusetts,” said Katherine Craven, Executive Director of the MSBA. “Both the MSBA’s regulations and the MTC Green School Initiative will help bring about healthier, more efficient, and less costly school buildings in which to educate Massachusetts children for years to come.”

Through a partnership of the MSBA, MTC, and the state’s Department of Education, 20 schools have participated in the pilot phase of the Green Schools Initiative. These school projects made a commitment to green design early in project development. The reward for that commitment was not only a grant from MTC, but also school buildings that are on average 30% more energy efficient than typical schools and have superior indoor environmental qualities. The energy-efficiency measures will save each of these schools $50,000 to $100,000 per year in utility expenses.

In addition to the energy savings and clean energy generated by these schools, the pilot phase of the Green Schools Initiative led to the adoption of new state regulations that require all new school or major renovation projects approved for a grant from the MSBA after July 1, 2007 to adopt numerous green design measures. The new MTC grants and the extra 2% MSBA incentive will encourage schools to go even further than the new state minimums. These certified high-performance green schools in Massachusetts will lead the nation in the areas of decreased operating costs, reduced impact on the natural environment, and enhanced learning and teaching environments for teachers and students.

“When we started the Green Schools partnership six years ago, there were no green schools and very few people were constructing green buildings of any kind in Massachusetts,” said Renewable Energy Trust Director Warren Leon. “It is enormously gratifying that green is fast becoming the standard, not the exception.”

As part of continued outreach to local officials to educate them about green schools, the partnership sent Massachusetts school superintendents a new DVD, High-Performance Green Schools: Building a Better Tomorrow, which features an introduction from State Treasurer Tim Cahill, chairman of MSBA. This video explains the concepts and outlines the benefits of designing and building high-performance green schools.

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About MTC:
MTC administers the state’s Renewable Energy Trust, which has made $210 million available in grants, loans and consumer rebates to support clean energy projects throughout Massachusetts. The Trust has funded more than 800 projects including solar, wind, hydroelectric, and bioenergy systems. These investments are helping the state to build greener communities, homes, businesses, and schools across the Commonwealth. For more information, visit www.masstech.org.

About MSBA:
The Massachusetts School Building Authority is an independent public authority established in July 2004 to effectively plan and manage a financially sustainable and reformed school building grant program. Since its inception, the MSBA has made approximately $4.5 billion in payments on the 1,156 school projects that were approved under the former school building assistance program and otherwise would have waited up to a decade for a first partial payment from the state. The MSBA will begin approving projects for the new grant program after July 1, 2007. For more information, visit www.MassSchoolBuildings.org.