New York City recently announced a $4 billion plan to electrify existing schools and construct any new schools as all-electric.
“Leading the Charge” is a plan from Mayor Eric Adams that is designed to improve air quality, combat climate change and develop a green workforce with a goal of completing or initiating the conversion of 100 existing schools to all-electric heating by 2030.
Other initiatives included in the plan are to end the city’s use of No. 4 heating oil in schools and install LED lighting in 800 schools by 2026, and providing additional support training and development for current students to prepare for future jobs in a green workforce.
Included in the program is a commitment from the city that no new boiler projects in existing schools will include fossil fuel combustion models.
A news release from the city said the program is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 120,000 tons annually and remove more than 20,000 pounds of disease-causing fine particulates from the air, measured as the equivalent of removing 26,000 cars from the city streets.
The plan to electrify 19 existing schools will cost the city $520 million over the next two fiscal years and includes replacing fuel-burning boilers with all-electric heat pumps designed to improve ventilation and fresher air in assembly spaces and classrooms. The LED retrofit portion of the project carries a $540 million price tag and is being touted as meet the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from government operations by 2030.
Dave Lubach is managing editor of the facilities market.
