Support solar energy in Missouri schools.

Solar energy and solar education have been growing Missouri.

The array of solar panels installed at Forsyth School sit right outside the 3rd of the school’s gymnasium. The lucky kids in that classroom see them every day. The rest of Forsyth’s kids see them as they enter and leave the building. All of them have access to an online monitoring system to they can interact with their array of panels, to see how much power is being produced for the school from the sun at any point in time.

From an idea starting with the proceeds of a school doughnut sale and growing into a working 28 kW solar array on the roof of the school’s gym, now the Forsyth solar array has become part of not only the school’s science and math curriculum as well as an accepted and necessary part of the Forsyth School’s everyday greening efforts.

The good news is, this is happening at many schools across the state of Missouri. The bad news is, continuation and expansion have been stalled in Jefferson City.

Here’s what happened – and what you can do about it:

Legislation, rebates – and stalls

In 2008, voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition C, which created renewable energy standards for investor-owned utilities and started $2/watt rebates for solar energy installations. The program was a success, with more than 2,800 jobs created in Missouri to date.

Since 2012, Brightergy alone has installed solar energy systems on 75 schools and school districts across Missouri – 400 systems with the potential to impact over 158,000 Missouri students. Once a mystery, solar energy is now or will soon be an interactive, “normal” part of school days across the state.

Despite these advances, in the 2013 Missouri legislative session, rebates were phased out. Their reasoning was that Prop C’s 1% cost cap wasn’t close to being hit.  After the regulatory proceeding, most of the rebates were abruptly stopped, leaving many schools and businesses without the ability to lower their bills and become more sustainable.

Solar creates jobs and investments in Missouri

We can get solar rebates restarted in Missouri. Solar energy creates jobs, investment, and a cleaner planet. Our new “green collar jobs” could keep growing, as well as investment dollars. There has been more than $200 million of private investment (not counting rebates) in Missouri solar-energy systems. Why?

● Solar energy helps reduce electric bills. Investing in solar helps customers start to become energy independent, guarding against future electric rate increases.

● Solar energy is good for the environment. Solar energy uses only the sun, doesn’t need water, and does not pollute.

● Solar energy is good for schools and students. Installing solar energy at schools creates an onsite laboratory for learning. Students can learn about the fundamentals of how energy is delivered and how renewable energy is produced, providing critical science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities.

● Solar energy is good for all ratepayers. When customers invest their own private capital into distributed energy systems like solar, it pushes off utility needs for power plant additions, reduces energy use and energy losses, and saves on environmental compliance.

Please support Senate Bill 857 and House Bill 2064, which would restart solar rebates in Missouri for schools and nonprofits. These bills would create jobs, help schools and non-profits produce clean energy, and best of all help us to continue to teach kids about renewable energy in our Missouri Schools.

You can help.

If clean energy is important to you – and if you’d like to see a rebate for solar on your home or business in the future! – consider sending a note of support to your legislators.

Just click here for the Missouri senate and here for the Missouri House of Representatives to find yours. Then, cut and paste the “Solar Creates Jobs and Investment” portion of this message into an email for them.

Raise your voice for clean, sustainable energy and a future of green jobs in Missouri!

Thanks so much,

– Your friends at Brightergy

Brightergy is a proud sponsor of the 2014 St. Louis Earth Day Festival

This material was produced by Brightergy and edited and published by St. Louis Earth Day.