“Almost five years ago, California voters passed Proposition 39, which closed a corporate tax loophole and devoted a good chunk of the increased revenues to reducing energy use at schools. In the most recent reports, the California Energy Commission says that $1.4 billion has been committed to K-12 schools so far through the program.”
“The arguments in favor of Proposition 39 are compelling. Nationwide schools spend $8 billion a year on energy – second only to personnel in K-12 budgets. If schools can trim their energy budgets through efficiency improvements like new air conditioning systems or LED lighting, they’ll have more to spend on the important things like salaries and textbooks. But, as with any investment, energy efficiency involves putting money down in the hope of recouping more money over time. In the case of energy efficiency, investments result in lower energy bills.”