Cortez Masto pushes for cost-saving energy efficiency and proper ventilation in K-12 schools

With many schools in the U.S. lacking updated or adequate heating, air-conditioning and ventilation, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.)  introduced legislation to support energy efficient improvements that would also lessen by $2 million the current $8 million energy bill for K-12 schools.

The Renew America’s Schools Act would create a federal grant program through the Department of Energy in which $100 million in annual funding for five years would be used toward improvements, upgrades,  renewable energy technologies, as well as  zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure.

Cortez Masto and Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) had introduced the bill in 2019, but it failed to receive a vote. This time, Masto is joined by senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

“Our kids deserve the healthiest possible environments for learning,” said Senator Cortez Masto, in a press release issued this week. That includes, she states, “good ventilation to reduce the risks of COVID-19 and green technology to bring down pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that put children at higher risk for asthma and other illnesses. Nevada’s innovative economy is developing cutting-edge energy solutions for the 21st century, and we should ensure that across the nation, students are benefiting from these technologies. I’ll continue to work in the Senate to protect our children’s health, spur our innovative economy, and combat the climate crisis.”