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[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 9 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                    SCHOOL BUILDING ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 15, 2009

  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the School 
Building Enhancement Act, legislation that would help schools implement 
energy saving measures to reduce their energy costs.
  According to the Department of Energy, DOE schools spent over $8 
billion on energy in 2007--$2 billion more than they spent just two 
years earlier. Sky-rocketing energy costs have forced schools to spend 
more annually on heating and electricity than they spend on textbooks 
and computers combined. Energy is the second-highest operating 
expenditure for schools after personnel costs. Schools across the 
country are already facing tight budgets; rising energy costs will only 
worsen their budget situation and could lead to the loss of important 
school programs.
  Fortunately, there are ways for schools to offset the soaring price 
of energy. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, 30 
percent of energy consumed in buildings is used unnecessarily or 
inefficiently. By understanding where energy is used unwisely and 
implementing simple changes in the operations and maintenance of school 
buildings, a school's operating costs can be reduced by 5 to 25 
percent. Schools that are seeking even greater long-term savings can 
retrofit their buildings with more efficient systems and replace old 
appliances. The $2 billion saved could be used for purchases that 
directly benefit our nation's students--such as hiring 30,000 new 
teachers or purchasing 40 million additional textbooks.
  However, cash-strapped school systems often are unable to find the 
necessary financial resources to invest in these energy efficient 
upgrades. The School Building Enhancement Act would assist schools in 
making these improvements by providing grants to states and local 
educational agencies through the Department of Education for energy 
efficiency upgrades. These improvements would need to follow the 
guidelines of the EnergySmart Schools Program of the Department of 
Energy or the Energy Star for K-12 School Districts program at the 
Environmental Protection Agency.
  If enacted, the School Building Enhancement Act would provide the 
needed funding for schools in my home state of New Jersey, and 
throughout the country, to implement energy efficiency measures that 
would help schools save thousands of dollars annually.
  Schools that already have implemented energy efficiency measures have 
succeeded in achieving significant savings. For example, the 
Summerfield Elementary School in my home state of New Jersey has 
implemented energy efficiency measures that have reduced their 
consumption by 32 percent, allowing Summerfield to save $41,000 
annually on energy costs. Summerfield is just one of many schools that 
are being built to use energy smarter and more efficiently. According 
to the EPA more than 800 schools have been Energy Star certified, 
saving an average of 40 cents per square foot in operating costs 
annually.
  Twenty-five of my colleagues have joined me in introducing this 
important legislation to help cash-strapped schools achieve significant 
savings on their energy costs and protect the environment. I urge my 
colleagues to support the School Building Enhancement Act.

                          ____________________
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