K-12 Energy Efficiency Moves to the Head of the Class.

• Author: Bell, Kate

It takes energy to run a school. Literally. America's K-12 education sector spends more than $6 billion a year on energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That's more than annual expenditures on all learning materials, including textbooks and computer equipment.

At least six states have now enacted laws requiring the use of energy efficiency measures in public schools. Several laws require that new construction or major renovation projects meet updated efficiency and sustainability standards, or adhere to a rating system such as LEED, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Maryland's 2017 School Facilities Act, for example, directed the state's Green Building Council to create guidelines to ensure that new K-12 facilities would be LEED Silver certified.

A couple of states have gone further. Hawaii lawmakers passed a 2016 bill requiring public schools to reach net-zero energy status by 2035, combining high efficiency with on-site renewable energy generation. This year, the Virginia General Assembly enacted similar legislation, requiring new and renovated school buildings to be energy-positive, generating more electricity than they consume.

Other states have instead used incentives to encourage the use of energy-efficient or renewable technologies in school buildings. As part of a 2019 omnibus energy bill, Maine lawmakers created power purchase...