The Day: Courtney Urges Greener Schools to Save Millions

By Erin Kutz , Special To The Day
Published on 2/27/2008

Washington — U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, is trying to bring federal help to Connecticut's failing schools. They're not failing academically, but environmentally.

Connecticut school buildings scored an average of 26 out of 100 in energy efficiency based on the Energy Star rating developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a 2006 study conducted by the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University. Schools were scoring so low that institute officials thought something was wrong with the rating system, said William Leahy, the group's director of operations.

Courtney said the study spurred his decision to help found the Congressional Green Schools Caucus, a group of lawmakers from across the country that advocates for enhanced school energy efficiency. Two weeks ago, Courtney announced he was co-sponsoring legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., that calls for the secretary of U.S. Department of Education to authorize competitive grants for school construction projects that enhance energy efficiency.

“It is eye-popping, in terms of the waste that is occurring in Connecticut public schools,” Courtney said. The savings that could be realized by improving energy efficiency in schools would bolster the quality of education and make it easier for towns to pass their annual budgets, he added.

The Eastern study analyzed 119 schools that were statistically representative of the 1,026 Connecticut public school buildings at the time. It also incorporated data that 237 schools voluntarily submitted.

The study found that 90 percent of state public school buildings were constructed before 1978—when energy shortages prompted greater conservation measures — and 68 percent were built between 1950 and 1978, when expanding populations forced the rapid construction of school buildings.

The study also showed that grading Connecticut school buildings as merely average, as measured by the Energy Star program, would save $46 million in energy costs. That estimate, however, was based on 2006 energy figures, when oil cost around $60 a barrel. Savings would escalate with oil prices now close to $100 per barrel, Courtney said.

Leahy said that while energy efficient construction elements could be more expensive up-front, school systems need to consider the long-term savings.

Enhancing school energy efficiency could save 25 percent of the $8 billion schools spend on energy nationally, according to a press release Courtney issued. The savings could translate into 30,000 new teachers or 40 million additional textbooks each year, the release says.