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Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton visited Central High School to announce the school district has accepted the Lt. Governor’s Energy Star School Challenge, a commitment to reduce energy consumption by 10 percent.
“School districts are true leaders when it comes to energy efficiency,” Lawton said. “Tight budgets demand it. I am proud that the leaders of La Crosse Schools have accepted the challenge to be better stewards of taxpayer dollars and of the environment.”
Central High School has already reduced its natural gas use by 45 percent and its electric use by 23 percent over five years, Lawton said.
“Reducing energy costs continues to be a high priority for our district,” said La Crosse Superintendent Jerry Kember. “We have realized over $2 million in energy savings in the last five years and welcome the challenge to save even more in the future.”
Lawton cited Environmen-tal Protection Agency statistics that U.S. schools spend $6 billion a year on energy costs, more than they spend on textbooks and computers combined. She said inefficient technologies and design rob them of an average of 20 percent of energy purchased.
Lawton issued her Energy Star School Challenge last month as part of her green economy agenda. Lawton said her goal for the challenge is to commit at least 100 new school districts, nearly 25 percent of all Wisconsin school districts, to reduce their energy costs by at least 10 percent.
Participating districts also will measure and track the energy performance of the organization’s facilities using free tools available through the Energy Star program.
They must also develop and start a plan consistent with the Energy Star Energy Management Guidelines to achieve energy savings and educate staff and community members about energy efficiency.
Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211.
