REDWOOD CITY, CA – Peninsula Clean Energy is partnering with San Mateo County education leaders and allocating more than $400,000 in the 2024-25 school year for educational programs and other efforts to reduce local heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions.
School district leaders will receive support for decarbonizing their facilities, improving air quality for students and staff and fostering youth leadership as part of a partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education, County of San Mateo Sustainability Department, the Citizens Environmental Council of Burlingame and the San Mateo County Community College District.
“Our schools are important partners to educate the next generation of climate leaders, as well as making concrete steps in the short term to improve quality of life in our communities,” Peninsula Clean Energy CEO Shawn Marshall said.
“We are laying the groundwork for the next generation of climate champions by offering training and opportunities focused on the promise of a clean energy economy,” San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine said.
“The County Office of Education is grateful for our strong partnership with Peninsula Clean Energy. Together, we are helping schools decarbonize, preparing the climate leaders of today and tomorrow, while also helping to build the green workforce,” San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee said. “Our collective actions are making a difference, and I am excited about what we can accomplish in developing climate-ready students and schools.”
Participating school districts will receive support with collecting facility-level data and identifying fossil-fuel equipment. The partnership will also provide school districts with tailored recommendations for reducing harmful emissions on their campuses.
School district leaders, teachers and other officials will gather at the Climate-Ready Schools Symposium to learn about resources and best practices for greening schools. The symposium will also recognize and award school leadership in decarbonizing facilities.
Middle and high school teachers will receive hands-on clean energy curriculum and classroom materials, while students will learn about climate solutions through the Youth Climate Ambassadors Leadership program, the Environmental Youth Leadership Summit and field trips.
The partnership will include preparing high school students for careers related to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, including workforce needs for electricians.
Community College students will also develop interactive exhibits focused on clean energy, electrification and related careers to educate their peers at the College of San Mateo, Cañada College and Skyline College.
About Peninsula Clean Energy
Peninsula Clean Energy is a Community Choice Aggregation agency. It is the official electricity provider for San Mateo County and for the City of Los Banos. Founded in 2016 with a mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the agency serves a population of 810,000 by providing more than 3,600 gigawatt hours annually of electricity that is 50 percent renewable, 100 percent clean and at lower cost than PG&E. As a community-led, not-for-profit agency, Peninsula Clean Energy makes significant investments in its communities to expand access to sustainable and affordable energy solutions. Follow us at PenCleanEnergy.com, X, Facebook and LinkedIn.