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NAESCO Members Among Projects Teams Selected for 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant

Washington, D.C. August 13th, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the recipients of the second round of funding from the Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant Program, a $190 million initiative aimed at helping K-12 public school districts across the United States implement energy-efficient upgrades. This initiative is focused on reducing energy consumption and costs, improving indoor air quality, and fostering healthier learning environments.

The funding was allocated in three phases: Phase 1, known as the “Prize Phase,” and Phases 2 and 3, collectively referred to as the “Cooperative Agreement Phase.” On August 5th, 21 Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and their strategic partners—including other LEAs, energy service companies, utility companies, state and local government offices, financing partners, and labor unions—received a $300,000 cash prize from Phase 1. Of these, 16 LEAs advanced to Phases 2 and 3, where they will enter into cooperative agreements to continue their projects.

The National Association of Energy Service Companies congratulates the 21 LEAs whose grant applications were selected by the DOE and is pleased to note that 13 of the awardees include NAESCO member partners.

The following 13 projects included NAESCO members:

Canton City School District (OH)

  • Project: Revitalize and restore 15 of CCSD's school buildings, aiming to address challenges faced by CCSD, including economic decline, decreasing enrollment, deferred maintenance, and aging infrastructure.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI)

Charter Schools Development Corporation (MD)

  • Project: Launch Charters RISE (Renovating for Innovative Sustainable Education), an initiative that will directly impact 21 charter schools, reducing spending on facilities operations and manifesting equitable access to cleaner, greener facilities, workforce development, and/or climate/sustainability education at each school.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Ameresco

Irvington Public Schools (NJ)

  • Project: Improve all 13 schools in the district. To overcome the unfunded investment gap and address critical projects and deferred maintenance needs, the district plans to combine DOE funding with 0% financing provided through the PSEG Engineered Solutions Program, which models the project utilizing measured and verified energy cost savings financed over a 60-month repayment term.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Siemens Industry, Inc.

Little Rock School District (AR)

  • Project: The 17 portfolio schools serve over 10,000 students. The project objective is bolstering academic achievement through (1) decreasing student and teacher absences, and (2) achieving significant energy savings to shift funding towards initiatives that directly support student learning. Long-term goals include improved Energy Use Intensity (EUI), air quality, and attendance, as well as reduced teacher sick days.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Energia

Marion County School District (SC)

  • Project: This project will transform 12 school buildings across the Marion County School District as it addresses several significant deferred maintenance issues that currently do not have allocated funding and continue to remain unaddressed.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Trane Technologies

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (FL)  

  • Project: M-DCPS has identified 74 school buildings across 10 campuses with high energy needs. The project plan consists of four project goals 1) Enhance energy efficiency and optimize building performance, 2) Increase renewable energy generation and reduce fossil fuel consumption, 3) Foster educational opportunities and workforce development in disadvantaged populations, and 4) Promote environmental justice by strengthening community engagement and partnerships.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Walker Reid Strategies Inc.

Omni Energy Partners LLC (IL)

  • Project: Omni Energy Partners LLC (OEP) is a design-build performance contractor that has partnered with nine school districts across southern Illinois. OEP’s ultimate objective with this project design is to create a replicable model that other school districts can adopt to improve energy resilience and reduce carbon footprints while maximizing financial savings through strategic use of available tax credits and funding.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Trane

Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS), Wilkinsburg School District (WSD) 

  • Project: The portfolio of schools between the PPS and WSD districts have been rated “high need” for maintenance, repairs, and/or replacement of various energy infrastructure systems. The project goals are to 1) Mitigate the impact of lost tax revenue, 2) Catch up on deferred maintenance and ensure recipient schools provide an energy-efficient and safe learning environment, 3) Significantly increase the percentage of disadvantaged community schools with air conditioning, and 4) Prepare the workforce of the future.
  • NAESCO member Partner: The Efficiency Network (TEN)

Richmond Public Schools (VA)

  • Project: The project includes energy improvements that directly reduce school energy costs, increase energy efficiency, and improve teacher and student health, including overall comfort and indoor air quality for 22 Title I schools.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Trane Technologies

Rockingham County Schools (NC)

  • Project: RCS seeks to bolster the local talent pool to combat the employment and income decline, with career and technical education (CTE) programming that includes connections to apprenticeships, internships, and adult education. Rockingham County Schools are community expansion hubs.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Johnson Controls, Inc.

Wichita Public Schools (KS)

  • Project: The district aims to implement energy efficiency initiatives to install solar panels and modernize lighting, HVAC, and building envelopes. Funding these measures in the portfolio's 22 schools will help address the $1.2 billion in deferred maintenance that WPS faces across the district.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Navitas, LLC

Broward County Public Schools (FL) 

  • Project: Broward County Public Schools (BCPC) aims to promote sustainability in 52 school buildings across 10 campuses with high energy needs.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Schneider Electric

Hoke County Schools (NC)

  • Project: The portfolio has 12 schools across Hoke County, North Carolina. The project also aims to create replicable and scalable financial models for school districts in disadvantaged communities.
  • NAESCO member Partner: Johnson Controls, Inc.

NAESCO would also like to acknowledge the other 8 awardees:

  • Alaska Municipal League (AK)
  • Lowell Public Schools (MA)
  • Oregon Department of Education (OR)
  • Raza Development Fund, Inc (AZ)
  • Saint Louis Public Schools (MO)
  • Chicago Public Schools (IL)
  • Philadelphia City School District (PA)
  • West Kentucky Educational Cooperative (KY)

Congratulations to the NAESCO members selected to be part of these project teams, as well as the forward-looking communities whose school districts applied and awarded funding for future energy benefits. The industry eagerly awaits the announcement of the third round of funding, which the DOE anticipates opening applications for in the Fall of 2025.

About The National Association of Energy Service Companies

The National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO) is the leading advocacy and accreditation organization for Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) and is dedicated to modernizing America’s building infrastructure through performance contracting. Uniting the energy service industry, NAESCO promotes favorable government policies, sponsors a rigorous accreditation program, provides training and education, and champions the interests of ESCOs across the nation.

ESCOs contract with private and public sector energy users to provide cost-effective energy efficiency retrofits across a wide spectrum of client facilities, from college campuses to water treatment plants. Effectively utilizing a performance-based contract business model, ESCOs have implemented more than $70 billion in comprehensive energy efficiency retrofit projects over the last three decades.

Learn more about NAESCO, its members, membership benefits and accreditation process at www.naesco.org, and follow NAESCO on Twitter (@NaescoNews) and LinkedIn (@naesco).

Media Contact:

Julie Chesna

On behalf of NAESCO

Julie.chesna@energyservicesmedia.com