Regional Workshops Aim to Help Schools Apply for Energy Upgrade Funding

Bay Area, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield and North Coast trainings complement online tools available at www.energy.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, California - California school districts and charter schools seeking Proposition 39 money for energy-related projects can get hands-on help and guidance with their application and expenditure plans at upcoming Energy Commission workshops throughout the state.

Fresno: Tuesday, March 4, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Fresno County Office of Education, 1177 Van Ness Avenue. RSVP to Prop39@energy.ca.gov or (855) 380-8722.

Bakersfield: Wednesday, March 5, 9 a.m. to noon, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Larry E. Reider Education Center, 2000 K Street, Room 101. RSVP to Scott Fieber, (661) 852- 5863 or scfieber@kern.org.

Eureka: Monday, March 10, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Humboldt County Office of Education, 901 Myrtle Avenue. RSVP to kcarpenter@redwoodenergy.org by March 5.

Sacramento: Wednesday, March 12, 9 a.m. to noon, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, 6301 S St. RSVP to Prop39@energy.ca.gov or (855) 380-8722.

Hayward: Thursday, March 20, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 West Winton Ave. RSVP to Carol Houps (510) 670-4555 or carol@acoe.org.

Also in Sacramento, the 2014 California Green Summit is sponsoring a workshop, Leveraging Prop 39 for
Green Schools Forever: Smart Energy Investments, on Tuesday, April 8, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. More information is available at www.green-technology.org.

Previous workshops via webinar and in the field were held in Redding, San Diego, Los Angeles and Salinas earlier in February.

The Energy Commission has also made available a set of online tools at energy.ca.gov/efficiency/proposition39/ to aid school district and other eligible local educational agency (LEA) administrators in preparing a "complete expenditure plan application" that details the projects to improve energy efficiency in their classrooms and school facilities. The tools include an Energy Expenditure Handbook, 21 energy savings calculators and a recorded online webinar.

Applicants can also contact Energy Commission program staff via a toll-free hotline -- (855) 380-8722 for in-state calls and an out-of-state hotline (916) 653-0392 -- or email at prop39@energy.ca.gov.

Applications are submitted to the Energy Commission electronically via a link provided to eligible LEAs. The Energy Commission will review and approve applicants’ energy project proposals, and the California Department of Education (CDE) will award the first grant funding in spring of 2014.

Applicants and those interested in following announcements, developments and successes of this program are encouraged to join the listserv on the Commission’s Proposition 39 web page.

Voters approved in 2012 Proposition 39, the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which altered the way out-of-state businesses pay California income taxes, and directed resulting revenues to fund LEAs to improve energy efficiency and create clean energy jobs. Eligible LEAs include county offices of education, school districts, charter schools and state special schools. More than $380 million is available this fiscal year.

The Energy Commission is implementing Proposition 39 in partnership with the California Department of Education, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, California Public Utilities Commission, California Workforce Investment Board, the Division of the State Architect, and the California Conservation Corps.