Ameren Illinois is launching a new program to help public schools reduce their carbon footprint.
The new program is called the Public Schools Carbon Free Assessment Program. Michael Pittman is the manager of DER and New Clean Energy Programs for Ameren Illinois. He says the program will help K-12 public schools within Ameren’s service territory save money on utility bills and it starts with getting a comprehensive no cost assessment from an energy expert.
“Assessments are designed to show schools a pathway to reduce their energy cost and ultimately transition to clean energy. We look at both the interior and exterior of every school building in a district, as well as all of the other district’s facilities, identifying their cost-saving opportunities and giving them solutions to optimize their energy uses, implement some sustainable upgrades to their buildings, and work towards what is the state of Illinois’s goal of carbon -free school buildings.” – Michael Pittman.
Pittman says it can take up to 6 weeks for the school to receive the assessment. Once schools receive the assessment, they can use it as a guide to adopt simple yet efficient energy-saving practices to start saving money right away.
Illinois has linked certain school construction and modernization grants to the completion of a School Carbon-Free Assessment, meaning schools must complete the assessment to be eligible for specific state funding opportunities. 64 public schools have already completed the assessment.
,