Hart County School District in Kentucky receives a $793,079 check!
HARDYVILLE, Ky., December 2024 — Hart County Schools upgraded the boiler system at Memorial Elementary School in August 2023 with a ground-source heat pump, a modern solution that provides both heating and cooling. This system generated $793,079 in energy tax credits through a funding mechanism called Elective Pay, which provides schools with a cash reimbursement for qualifying energy upgrades. The district received its reimbursement from the IRS on December 19, 2024.
The district partnered with CMTA, an engineering and performance contracting firm based in Louisville, Kentucky, to complete the project.
This initiative is part of a broader energy savings performance contract – CMTA and Hart County Schools are also working to upgrade systems in seven additional buildings to serve a total of 2,377 students across the district.
Hart County Schools is pioneering the usage of Elective Pay for school modernization projects as one of the first school districts in Kentucky to receive a federal reimbursement for the ground-source heat pumps. This technology directly improves a school’s environment by reducing energy consumption and operational costs while improving student health.
The energy-saving upgrades have reduced energy use by 52%, saving the district $238,000 in 2024. Superintendent Nathan Smith expects that the improvements will generate $6.7 million in utility savings over 20 years - funds that can be reinvested into student learning opportunities or teacher salaries.
To learn more about the role of energy tax credits in this plan, explore coverage on this project below:
Bowling Green Daily News: Hart County Schools gets $793,000 via energy-savings project (12/26/24)
WBKO: Memorial Elementary School to receive $793,000 for Geothermal System (12/20/24)
Visit our energy tax credits homepage to learn more about this funding opportunity for schools.
