California Pulled the Plug on New School Air Conditioners, Leaving $200 Million Unspent
Source:CalMatters |By Alejandra Reyes-Ve
In 2020, California gave schools an enticing opportunity: A ratepayer-funded grant program would let them assess the condition of their heating and cooling systems, then pay for upgrades based on that review. But in 2024, the California Energy Commission, which administers the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency, or CalSHAPE program, decided to cut it short two years earlier than planned. As a result, only 172 of more than 4,500 schools whose assessments turned up heating and cooling systems in disrepair actually got money to upgrade them.
Mark Toney is executive director of the Utility Reform Network, a policy group that advocates for ratepayers. He argues ratepayer money shouldn’t pay for this kind of program at all. “The fact that schools need new HVAC systems has nothing to do with producing electricity, delivering electricity, or generating electricity,” Toney said.
