GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2025

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 644

Short Title:      Green Schools Save Money.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Meyer, Garrett, and Theodros (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:	Rules and Operations of the Senate

March 26, 2025

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to appropriate funds to improve energy efficiency in schools in local school administrative units, to power schools with solar energy, and to replace combustion‑powered school buses with electric‑powered school buses.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year the sum of one billion five hundred million dollars ($1,500,000,000) in nonrecurring funds to be allocated to local school administrative units on the basis of average daily membership to make improvements to public school buildings as follows:

(1)        One billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) to make needed improvements to all school buildings for energy efficiency, including the following:

a.         Installing high‑efficiency lighting.

b.         Replacing pipe insulation.

c.         Weatherizing doors, windows, and other internal and external openings.

d.         Repairing, replacing, and upgrading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, including programmable thermostats, chillers, boilers, and fuel‑switching systems.

e.         Upgrading plug load management systems.

f.          Repairing, replacing, and upgrading water and wastewater systems and controls.

g.         Upgrading electric water coolers.

h.         Installing open‑platform, internet‑based controls for building management systems.

(2)        Two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000) to install solar photovoltaic panels on each school building that would benefit from solar photovoltaic panels and to make necessary roof repairs to support the installation of solar photovoltaic panels.

(3)        Two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000) to replace all qualifying school buses with new school buses that are operated exclusively on electric fuel and assembled in the State. For purposes of this subdivision, a qualifying school bus is a school bus owned by a local school administrative unit that meets all of the following criteria:

a.         Is more than 10 years old by model year as of the effective date of this act.

b.         Is operated in whole or in part on motor fuel, as defined in G.S. 105‑449.60(31).

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025.