Jan Hochadel

Senator Hochadel Leads Senate Passage on Bill Addressing Climate Crisis in Schools

Today, state Senator Jan Hochadel (D-Meriden), Senate Vice Chair of the Environment Committee, lead State Senate passage of a bill that will help create an environmentally safe classroom for students across Connecticut.

Senate Bill 961, ‘An Act Concerning Carbon-Free School Requirements For New School Construction And Establishing Other School Construction And Public Health Requirements For School Districts,’ will allow districts to apply for a grant through the Greenbank to perform an energy feasibility study for each school building in the district. It will also ask all Superintendents to prioritize projects by greenhouse gas emission reductions and cost effectiveness, with the hope they will replace old equipment with new equipment that is energy efficient.

“Every child deserves to have a safe and healthy classroom and school. Every child – mine and yours – should have a future on a healthy planet,” said Sen. Hochadel.

Senate Bill 961 will also help Connecticut to move towards carbon-neutral schools. The goal is to have any new construction, replacement, or extension of a public-school building after July 1, 2024, be net-zero energy. The transition to renewable power in our schools will help identify opportunities for improvement. This change will result in energy cost savings for taxpayers and reductions in dangerous greenhouse gas emission.

This bill now heads to the state House of Representatives.