Superintendent outlines $26 million-plus energy audit plan aimed at saving utilities and cutting carbon footprint

Superintendent Eric Hibbs briefed the board on June 30 about a districtwide energy audit that will roll out in two phases and represents one of the largest planned infrastructure investments in district history.

Hibbs told the board phase one is expected to be approximately $16 million and will include boiler replacements and LED lighting upgrades for buildings and fields. He said the audit projects about $911,000 in annual energy savings and roughly a 29% reduction in utility costs for the first phase; the administration also anticipates approximately $700,000 in rebates and incentives. "When both phases are complete, we're going to have over $26 million worth of projects," Hibbs said.

Phase two, he said, is expected to run roughly $10 million and would include solar installations and extended roof-life investments. The combined program, Hibbs said, would result in a 61% reduction in the district's carbon footprint.

The board did not vote on project authorization at the June 30 meeting; Hibbs said the work will proceed through planning and procurement over the next two years and that the investment-grade audit (an administrative cost) was the only immediate expense to the district to date.

Why it matters: The planned projects are capital-intensive and aim to reduce long-term operating costs and greenhouse-gas emissions. The projects’ size and financing strategy will require sustained board oversight and public reporting as the district moves into design and contracting phases.