Bill > AB1186

This bill, titled the School Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act, aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California's K-12 public schools by establishing a dedicated fund and a grant program. Recognizing that many school buildings are old and contribute significantly to energy consumption and carbon footprints, this legislation creates the "School Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund" within the State Treasury. This fund will be managed by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (referred to as the "Commission") in collaboration with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Commission will administer grants from this fund to "eligible institutions," which are defined as public schools serving kindergarten through 12th grade. These grants will support building retrofits designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions and decrease energy demand. The grants will be awarded through the Commission's existing "Bright Schools Program," with a focus on ensuring that energy audits, measurement, and verification procedures are in place to confirm actual energy savings and emission reductions. The bill also outlines a prioritization system for grant applications, considering factors like facility age, student socioeconomic status, and potential for energy demand reduction, and requires grant recipients to report their annual energy savings.