Texas Comptroller’s Office Commits $1.5 Million to Hidalgo ISD

The Texas Comptroller’s office is committing $1.5 million to the Hidalgo school district to retrofit some of its aging campuses with energy-efficient building equipment through the State Energy Conservation Office’s (SECO) LoanSTAR program (Saving Taxes and Resources).

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is visiting Hidalgo today to announce the loan, which will help retrofit seven schools with energy-efficient lighting, programmable thermostats and new air-conditioning units for the South Texas district, which serves about 3,400 students.

 

“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. “By reducing energy costs, school districts such as Hidalgo’s can put more of their resources where they are needed most — the classroom.”

 

Hidalgo officials said they expect the improvements to save the district about $150,000 per year, helping it pay off the $1.5 million loan in about 10 years.

 

Texas LoanSTAR is a revolving loan program that finances energy-efficient retrofits for facilities operated by state agencies, public school districts, public colleges and universities and public hospitals. Applicants repay the low-interest loans with the savings realized from the projects.

 

Since 1989, retrofitted buildings funded through the LoanSTAR program have saved Texas taxpayers more than $493 million and prevented the release of 14,113 tons of nitrogen oxides, 4.8 million tons of carbon dioxide and 10,400 tons of sulfur dioxide.

 

For more information on the LoanSTAR program, go to the Comptroller’s State Energy Conservation Office website.