A new grant program from the U.S. Department of Energy is poised to send $178 million to American schools for energy efficiency and student health projects. The only funding for Illinois was provided to a coalition of 20 Illinois school districts, and Wethersfield District #230 is one of the districts included in this coalition.
Here are the details:
- We are positioned to receive $600,000 - $700,000 in grant funds
- at least 1 active microgrid for each school district
- at least 1 electric school bus at each school district
- onsite solar plus stationary battery storage at each school district
- a microgrid controller at each site to communicate between energy assets
- ability for facilities to act as emergency shelters where appropriate (powered by energy from bus batteries)
- interoperability among energy assets is a primary goal
- No cost to Wethersfield anticipated as the partners below will share any of the remaining 5% of cost not covered by grant
Industry partners include
- Econergy
- IEC Powered by Future Green
- University of Illinois-Chicago (Energy Resources Center)
- ComEd
- AmerenIL
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- Highland Electric Fleets
- Lion Electric
- Sea Electric
- NUVVE
- Siemens