Governor Hochul Announces $59 Million ‘Clean Green Schools’ Initiative To Improve Air Quality, Reduce Carbon Emissions In PreK-12 Schools

ALBANY, NY – Governor Kathy Hochul yesterday allocated $59 million for the new Clean Green Schools initiative, which aims to advance clean energy and energy efficiency solutions that will improve indoor air quality and reduce emissions for more than 500 public and private Pre-K-12 schools in disadvantaged communities across the state.

As part of the program, the State will convene education leaders this fall, including school superintendents, administrators, and educators, to inform the initiative launching in early 2022 to address climate justice issues and create improved, healthier learning environments for students. Today’s announcement supports New York’s nation-leading goal of an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act).

“Every child deserves a clean and healthy learning environment, and this new program will help deliver that for our students, educators, and administrators in a way that provides meaningful results and can be replicated across our state,” Governor Hochul said. “I know what it’s like to grow up exposed to unhealthy air, and we owe it to our children to be better than previous generations and correct these injustices.”

Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Clean Green Schools initiative will provide technical, financial, and human resource support to help schools in underserved areas evaluate, plan for, and implement energy efficient and clean heating and cooling projects to benefit the most vulnerable New Yorkers.

The initiative will provide a range of tools, including benchmarking, energy management, indoor air quality assessments, commissioning support, student engagement in clean energy, and professional development opportunities around clean energy and sustainability, as well as two rounds of competitive incentives for clean building improvements in schools.

Yesterday’s announcement was made by Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin at Enrico Fermi School in Yonkers.

“For far too long, children in New York’s most underserved communities have faced persistent and inequitable exposure to air pollution often leading to disproportionate educational and health outcomes,” said Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin. “Today, the State is taking another significant step in addressing these inequities with the launch of our Clean Green Schools initiative which will provide school districts with the funding and resources needed to ensure safe and healthy classrooms and opportunities for job exploration and growth. ”

To create a knowledge base that will help launch the program in 2022, the initiative will gather education leaders this fall to discuss opportunities through this program with energy efficiency and low carbon building experts from the Getting to Zero Forum, NYSERDA and the New Buildings Institute (NBI). The initiative will offer funding for services that will help schools evaluate, plan for, and facilitate energy reduction projects, clean energy projects, and indoor air quality projects and support building decarbonization projects. Additional funding will be provided to create project-based learning opportunities to advance clean energy career pathways, internships and scholarships for students and faculty.

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