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
*S644 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN SCHOOLS 2
IN LOCAL SCHOOL ADMI NISTRATIVE UNITS, TO POWER SCHOOLS WITH 3
SOLAR ENERGY, AND TO REPLACE COMBUSTION -POWERED SCHOOL BUSES 4
WITH ELECTRIC-POWERED SCHOOL BUSES. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 7
Public Instruction for the 2025-2026 fiscal year the sum of one billion five hundred million 8
dollars ($1,500,000,000) in nonrecurring funds to be allocated to local school administrative units 9
on the basis of average daily membership to make improvements to public school buildings as 10
follows: 11
(1) One billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) to make needed improvements to all 12
school buildings for energy efficiency, including the following: 13
a. Installing high-efficiency lighting. 14
b. Replacing pipe insulation. 15
c. Weatherizing doors, windows, and other internal and external 16
openings. 17
d. Repairing, replacing, and upgrading heating, ventilation, and air 18
conditioning systems, including programmable thermostats, chillers, 19
boilers, and fuel-switching systems. 20
e. Upgrading plug load management systems. 21
f. Repairing, replacing, and upgrading water and wastewater systems 22
and controls. 23
g. Upgrading electric water coolers. 24
h. Installing open-platform, internet-based controls for building 25
management systems. 26
(2) Two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000) to install solar photovoltaic 27
panels on each school building that would benefit from solar photovoltaic 28
panels and to make necessary roof repairs to support the installation of solar 29
photovoltaic panels. 30
(3) Two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000) to replace all qualifying 31
school buses with new school buses that are operated exclusively on electric 32
fuel and assembled in the State. For purposes of this subdivision, a qualifying 33
school bus is a school bus owned by a local school administrative unit that 34
meets all of the following criteria: 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 644-First Edition
a. Is more than 10 years old by model year as of the effective date of this 1
act. 2
b. Is operated in whole or in part on motor fuel, as defined in 3
G.S. 105-449.60(31). 4
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 5