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K-12 Schools Sustainability Strategy Collaborative Update

On Dec. 19, the California Energy Commission (CEC) unanimously adopted the California Clean Energy Jobs Act Guidelines. The vote clears the way for local educational agencies to apply for award funds in January 2014 for projects to start in spring 2014. The Energy Commission will post the application form (“Energy Expenditure Plan”) and handbook to its website in early January 2014. Training sessions and webinars will be available to assist schools with the process. The Commission will review and approve applicants’ energy project proposals and the California Department of Education will award grant funding in spring 2014

December brought another excellent San Diego Region K-12 Schools Sustainability Strategy Collaborative meeting with new representatation from the San Ysidro, Valley Center Unified, and Vista Unified School Districts. This brings the total to 25 active school districts in our collaborative — 60% of all school districts across San Diego County. We reviewed the CEC’s Proposition 39 Guideline Revisions document, which summarized key changes to the 2013 Proposition 39 Implementation Guidelines. The most positive change for school districts is increased flexibility in Energy Planning fund spending, which eliminates percentage allocations and adds allowances for funding Energy Managers. It also removes a $1,000 cap for Energy Training.

28 San Diego School Districts have been in contact with the California Conservation Corps (CCC) and 17 have completed applications in the CCC’s growing Energy Survey queue — a mandatory requirement of  the Energy Expenditure Plan.  Lemon Grove School Disrict is among the first school districts to be notified that their CCC Energy Surveys will commence on Jan. 15, 2014.  Additionally, four San Diego School Districts have been approved for the CEC Bright Schools Program: Del Mar, San Diego Unified, Santee, and Ramona. Each will receive an incremental $20,000 that can be applied to any aspect of technical support they require.

The January Meeting of our San Diego Region K-12 SSSC Meeting will be scheduled at a time when CEC can send a representative to present the final Energy Expenditure Plan, Prop 39 Handbook, and supplementary application tools and energy calculators.