$1 MILLION FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT SCHOOLS

The McNicol School’s Earth Rangers have a new member, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson. Today he was made an honorary member of the Broward County science and environmental group while viewing energy efficient technology exhibits at the school. Richardson announced $1 million in funding to assist Florida schools in purchasing and using smart energy technologies including photovoltaics and other renewable and energy efficient resources. President Bill Clinton, in his State of the Union speech, challenged the nation to modernize school buildings to improve student learning. The new U.S. Department of Energy EnergySmart Schools initiative is designed to do that by partnering with the private sector to train school representatives about innovative financing, develop energy and design guidelines for building and renovation of school facilities, coordinate bulk purchases of energy efficient equipment and conduct technology demonstrations at schools across the country.

This grant money may be directed through the Alliance to Save Energy, Wash. D.C. Also we have contacts with Florida Utilities with buy-down grants.

I will make a few phone calls to my contacts over the month of February.