With a $1.5 million loan, the Hidalgo school board plans to install energy-efficient lights and a new air conditioning system at local schools.
Texas Comptroller Glen Hegar visited the Hidalgo Independent School District on Thursday, when he announced the $1.5 million loan.
The district will borrow money through the State Energy Conservation Office’s LoanSTAR program, according to a news release from the Comptroller’s Office. The school district will repay the 10-year loan gradually with savings from lower electricity bills.
“I applaud Hidalgo ISD for tapping into a program that has saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars while improving energy efficiency all over our great state,” Hegar said, according to the news release. “By reducing energy costs, school districts such as Hidalgo’s can put more of their resources where they are needed most — the classroom.”
Funding from the loan will pay for energy-efficient lighting, programmable thermostats and new air-conditioning units.
