Opinion: Use Designed Money to Cool California Schools, Not to Enrich Utilities

On May 28, the Los Angeles Times published an opinion piece, "Use designated money to cool California schools, not to enrich utilities,” co-authored by Jonathan Klein (UndauntedK12) and Leah Stokes (UC Santa Barbara and the 2035 Initiative).

The op-ed sounds the alarm on the fate of the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency (CalSHAPE) Program, which was designed to help schools repair and replace failing HVAC systems. Over 4,500 of California’s 10,000 public schools received CalSHAPE funding to assess their HVAC systems – but only 172 schools received additional funding to actually upgrade or repair their equipment before the program was frozen in 2024. Nearly $200 million remaining in the program – promised to California schools for HVAC upgrades – is set to be handed over to utility companies by the end of the year.