School Opportunities

Clean Green Schools -Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), no match grant funding is available to any public school districts designated as high-needs (PDF) by the New York State Education Department or have any buildings located in a disadvantaged community as defined by the New York State Climate Justice Working Group. This program helps those schools create sustainable, resilient and healthy learning environments in their community by helping them to plan, design and upgrade to clean energy technologies to mitigate indoor air quality from pollution and wildfires. This investment will also protect against extreme heat by prioritizing funding for efficient cooling systems in schools serving vulnerable populations. The state will encourage communities that receive this funding to install cooling systems that can be opened to the community during extreme heat events to help prevent heat-related illness or death. Track I Planning grants provides fundings to help schools evaluate, plan for and facilitate energy reduction projects, clean energy Projects and indoor air quality projects. Awards range between $650,000-$1,250,000 per district and it is open enrollment. Districts may choose a contractor of their choice .

Charge Ready NY 2.0-This program offers incentives to public, private and not-for-profit organizations that install Level 2 EV charging stations at workplaces, multi-unit dwellings (MUD’s) or public facilities that are owned and operated by municipal or state government entities. NYSERDA provides incentives on a per-port basis at varying amounts, based on location type and whether or not is it located within a Disadvantaged Community (DAC):

$4,000 per charging port installed at a public facility (must be located within a DAC)

$2,000 per charging port installed at a workplace or multi-unit dwelling location.

DEC Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle Rebate Program - The Municipal ZEV Program provides rebates to cities, towns, villages, and counties of the State of New York to encourage and enable ZEV adoption by municipalities for fleet use as well as install electric vehicle charging and hydrogen fuel filling station components primarily for public use. Eligible vehicles are eligible for a $2,500-$7,500 rebate depending on weight class. Download the ZEV Rebate Fact Sheet (PDF) for an overview of the program.

Federal Solar Tax Credit (ITC) - Thanks to changes to the federal solar credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, K-12 schools and universities can now receive tax credits (even though they don’t pay taxes) in the form of DIRECT FEDERAL PAYMENTS. The new Investment Tax Credit was increased to 30% for clean energy projects and its bonus credits enables tax-exempt entities to receive up to six bonus credits that could raise the ITC to 70% of the eligible costs of the project’s installation. Pre-filing registration is a required electronic process for all entities that intend to make an elective payment election (or those that intend to make a credit transfer). Lawyers for Good Government have created a Pre-Filing Resource Page.Federal solar tax credits can be rolled over for up to two years.

NY School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP) - NYSBIP is a voucher incentive program which will accelerate the deployment of zero-emission school buses and charging infrastructures throughout New York State. Zero-emission school buses include both electric school buses and hydrogen fuel cell school buses (collectively referred to as ESBs). A total of $300M is available to fund the acquisition of new ESBs and charging infrastructure, and help districts complete a Fleet Electrification Plan.

PSEG Electric Vehicle Make Ready Incentive Programs - PSEG currently offers incentives for businesses to install Level 2 and Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) stations.This program is available for all commercial customers including Multi-Unit Dwellings, Retail/Offices, Parking Facilities/Lots, and more.

Center for Green Schools - The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council is a global leader in advancing green schools and providing the resources needed to create sustainable, healthy, resilient, and equitable learning environments. They are driving the green school movement by working directly with those implementing sustainability within school systems and offering a wide array of initiatives that accelerate action.

Green Schools Alliance (GSA) - The Whole School Sustainability dashboard enables you to benchmark, track, plan and collaborate for holistic school sustainability. Whether you're a K-12 student, teacher, administrator, staff member, or district sustainability professional, the Green Schools Alliance can support and strengthen your sustainability action. Join the GSA Community to connect with other school sustainability champions, and discover resources for driving sustainability and regeneration at your school.

UndauntedK12 – UndauntedK12 works with partners to curate resources to help leaders in the education space navigate this generational funding opportunity to protect student health and learning, enhance resilience, reduce spending on infrastructure, and decrease emissions all while addressing equity and environmental justice.

Last updated November 12, 2024