Last November, California voters passed Proposition 39, the California Clean Energy Jobs Act, ending a state tax break for multistate businesses and dedicating the anticipated revenue to energy efficiency projects and job creation in the clean energy sector. The Governor's office recently released 2013–2014 budget summary proposes to allocate all Prop 39 funds to K–12 schools and community colleges for efficiency upgrades and clean energy job training programs.
Under the current proposal, funds would total $450 million in 2013–14, with $550 million allocated in each of the following four fiscal years. The cost savings achieved through efficiency retrofits are intended to help schools recover somewhat from past budget cuts.
The proposal is not final. The next revision will be out in May and the final budget is due in June. The Department of Education and the Chancellor's Office for the California Community Colleges will be responsible for distributing funding in the final budget, and both entities would be able to consult with the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission to develop guidelines for use of the funds.