PHOENIX – Governor Jan Brewer today announced 15 Arizona school districts will receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for solar energy projects at schools throughout the state. The funding is part of the $55,447,000 awarded to the Arizona Department of
Commerce Energy Office through the State Energy Program (SEP).

The School Facilities Board (SFB) is managing the Solar on Schools grants for the state. The grant will provide more than $5 million to procure photovoltaic systems for the qualifying school districts. The current round of funding appropriates $2.6 million for school solar projects.

“These projects help our schools make energy-related investments for Arizona’s future,” said Governor Brewer. “They will generate clean energy and green jobs, reduce energy costs, and help keep more money in classrooms to educate our state’s children. It’s a priority for my Administration in
everything we do.”
       

The School Facilities Board recommended the solar program be based around smaller schools, thereby broadening the impact of the program to cover more schools. School districts
applied through a competitive grant process and the following schools were chosen to receive funds:
Apache Elementary, Blue Elementary, Bouse Elementary, Graham County Special Services, Hillside Elementary, Navajo County Accommodation, Owens-Whitney Elementary, Paloma Elementary, San Fernando Elementary, Sentinel Elementary, Skull Valley Elementary, Tonto Basin Elementary,
Vernon Elementary, Yavapai Accommodation, and Yucca Elementary.

“The awards being made today are the first wave of solar grants,” said John Arnold, Executive Director of the School Facilities Board. “The SFB anticipates that additional school districts will be awarded at next month’s Board meeting on November 4, 2009.”

“The ARRA grant for Solar on Schools will save the districts money that will continue for years into the future,” said Jim Arwood, Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office. “Not only do they help generate utility cost savings, these systems are hands-on science experiments for our children and will serve to teach the entire community about the promising future of solar energy.”

The State Energy Program ARRA funds allocated to Arizona are being used to fund solar energy and energy efficiency improvements on public buildings throughout the state as well as supplementing utility company incentives for consumers who install renewable energy technologies.

For more information, please visit the State of Arizona’s Recovery Act website at
www.azrecovery.gov.