Electrification Tools for Schools
Online Tool / July 7, 2025 / Getting to Zero
This resource page provides K-12 stakeholders with building electrification tools specifically designed for schools.
As districts in Southern California and across the country strive to create healthier, more sustainable learning environments, electrifying school buildings is a crucial step toward reducing costs, carbon emissions, and enhancing energy efficiency. Here, you'll find practical resources, templates, funding information, and technical support to help your school navigate the path to electrification and decarbonization.
Tools and Guides for School Electrification
Building Electrification Technology Roadmap (BETR) for Schools
Learn strategies tailored for K-12 schools to reduce carbon emissions from water heating, HVAC, buses, and other technologies that power classrooms and operational spaces. This report provides K-12 leaders with a roadmap and decision-making tools to electrify their school buildings. You can hear more about the Roadmap with the On-Demand Webinar.
Building Electrification Interactive Cost Dashboard
As a companion tool to the BETR Roadmap for Schools, this interactive cost dashboard explores estimated costs for electrification projects in schools across common building types and project scenarios. Costs are based on material and labor costs tailored for Southern California in 2023 but provide comparisons that can be useful to school districts nationwide.
School Decarbonization Roadmap for School Building Decision Makers
The Decarbonization Roadmap Guide is written for those interested in designing, constructing, and operating healthy, efficient, and carbon-neutral schools. It outlines achievable goals that result in healthy, affordable, all-electric facilities and explains common actions taken by leading districts to operationalize their carbon-neutral ambitions. In addition, the guide links to resources and templates that can be customized locally. For more information on available templates and resources, please visit the School Decarbonization Roadmap page.
Powering Up Our Schools: A Bright Future with Electrification
This quick-reference cheat sheet helps school district staff clearly and confidently communicate the key benefits of electrification. It includes simple talking points on cost savings, student health, climate impact, and modernizing school infrastructure.
Funding Tools for School Electrification
This funding tracker is iteratively updated with funding and policy updates for school districts in California. The tracker includes available state and local funding opportunities, policies impacting schools, and federal funding opportunities. This tracker is updated frequently, but if a key resource is missing, please reach out to schools@newbuildings.org to help maintain a robust dataset.
Checklist and Tips for Grant Writing for Schools
This document includes tips and common data needs for grant applications. The actionable tips in this document come from districts that have successfully won grants and from reviewers of federal grant programs. These can apply to state, federal, and private grants. This list is not exhaustive, but it is a great starting point to be ready when grants become available.
Templates for School Electrification
School Electrification Project Requirements Template for California
The School Electrification Resolution Template serves as a starting point for establishing formal district documentation regarding electrified facilities. It includes instructions on how to successfully adopt the resolution to declare the districts commitments to healthy, electrified, and resilient facilities. A resolution is a formal statement of a decision by the district and may include specific and measurable technical goals.
School Electrification Resolution Template
The School Electrification Resolution Template serves as a starting point for establishing formal district documentation regarding electrified facilities. It includes instructions on how to successfully adopt the resolution to declare the districts commitments to healthy, electrified, and resilient facilities. A resolution is a formal statement of a decision by the district and may include specific and measurable technical goals.
School Electrification Policy Template
This school electrification policy template provides a clear, customizable framework to help school districts commit to phasing out fossil fuels in their buildings and transportation systems. Designed to support sustainability goals and align with state and local regulations, the template outlines key policy language, implementation steps, and broad goals to guide districts toward a cleaner, healthier, and more cost-effective future.
On-Demand Webinars
Flipping the Switch – Helping Schools Achieve Clean Energy Goals
This virtual workshop, presented by Southern California Edison (SCE) and New Buildings Institute (NBI), featured real-life stories from school districts leading electrification efforts. Participants heard how schools have transformed their campuses with electric kitchens, EV buses, and clean energy infrastructure. District presenters shared lessons learned, funding strategies, and impacts on student health and learning, while attendees connected with experts and peers for actionable guidance on advancing school electrification.
Two sessions were offered with the same agenda but differ slightly in content and Q&A.
Recorded September 24, 2025
Recorded October 8, 2025
Presenters:
- Amy Discher, Reach Codes, Sr. Advisor, Southern California Edison
- Andre Saldivar, Oran, Southern California Edison
- Ramiro Lepe, Medium & Heavy Duty Transportation Electrification Sr. Advisor, Southern California Edison
- Desmond Ho, Operations and Sustainability Coordinator, Santa Barbara USD
- Christina Celeste-Russo, Director of Transportation, Orange USD (September 24 only)
- Omar Dena, Transportation Manager, Orange USD (October 8 only)
- Reilly Loveland, Associate Director, NBI
Questions? Contact us at schools@newbuildings.org