Arizona Jobs through Solar on Schools Program
A new effort to make schools more green through a round of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act also will help create more Arizona jobs. Go to http://arizona.jobing.com to learn more about Arizona jobs.
Gov. Jan Brewer recently announced that 15 school districts throughout the state will receive federal stimulus funding for solar energy projects through the Solar on Schools initiative. The funding is part of the $55,447,000 awarded to the Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office through the State Energy Program.
The grants, which will provide more than $5 million to procure photovoltaic systems for qualifying school districts, will be managed by the School Facilities Board. The current round of funding includes $2.6 million.
"These projects help our schools make energy-related investments for Arizona’s future," Brewer said. "They will generate clean energy and green jobs, reduce energy costs, and help keep more money in classrooms to educate our state’s children. It’s a priority for my administration in everything we do.”
The SFB has recommended that the solar program be based around smaller schools so it can have a bigger impact and cover more schools. In order to receive funding, school districts had to apply through a competitive grant process.
The following schools were chosen to receive funding:
- Apache Elementary
- Blue Elementary
- Bouse Elementary
- Graham County Special Services
- Hillside Elementary
- Navajo County Accommodation
- Owens-Whitney Elementary
- Paloma Elementary
- San Fernando Elementary
- Sentinel Elementary
- Skull Valley Elementary
- Tonto Basin Elementary
- Vernon Elementary
- Yavapai Accommodation
- Yucca Elementary
"The awards being made today are the first wave of solar grants," SFB Director John Arnold said. "The SFB anticipates that additional school districts will be awarded at next month’s board meeting on November 4, 2009."
"The ARRA grant for Solar on Schools will save the districts money that will continue for years into the future,” ADOCEO Director Jim Arwood said. “Not only do they help generate utility cost savings, these systems are hands-on science experiments for our children and will serve to teach the entire community about the promising future of solar energy.”