20090203Comment.pdf

,/1: JlV ¡¡'f ~.. rHST~ DEPARTMENT OF ÉDUCAT&
P.O. BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0027
TOM LUNA
STATE SUPERINTENDENT
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Februar 3, 2009 J:t)C -E -CJ B - ((c:::r-=isr.,;r."'¡""O);!::
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Commission Secretary
Idaho Public Utilties Commission
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0074
RE: Order No. 30699
Dear Commissioners:
I know there have been other proposals submitted for how to spend the S02 proceeds. The joint proposal put
forward by the Idaho Office of Energy Resources, in cooperation with Idaho Power Co. and the Idaho State Deparment
of Education (SDE) in July 2008, is the most efficient and effective use of ratepayer dollars. It draws on the experience
of experts in education to raise student achievement and student interest in energy education while at the same time
encouraging Idaho schools to tae the necessar steps to increase energy efficiency in the long ru.
In response to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission's call for an educational plan fuded by S02 proceeds, the
Office of Energy Resources and Idaho Power Co. asked the SDE to help develop a joint proposal for how S02
proceeds could be used to enhance energy education across the state of Idaho. The Offce of Energy Resources
submitted a letter with this proposal, created in cooperation with the SDE and Idaho Power, on July 15, 2008. The joint
proposal provides a parership to improve energy education across the entire state of Idaho with half of the proceeds
going toward teacher training, curiculum development and classroom resources, and the other half ofthe proceeds
being used as incentives for Idaho schools to create more energy efficient facilities.
The SDE already has an effective and established delivery model in place for disseminating energy education
across Idaho. Under the proposal, the SDE would use $250,000 to implement a comprehensive statewide plan to
develop energy efficiency curriculum and train teachers across the state on how to most effectively integrate energy
education in the classroom. The SDE would work closely with the National Energy Education and Development
(NEED), a nationally renowned orgarization that has designed energy education curiculum aligned to Idaho state
content standards. The SDE and NEED already partnered in October 2008 to host a workshop on energy education for
Idaho teachers. During this successful two-day workshop, 35 Idaho teachers leared effective methods and best
practices for incorporating energy education into their classrooms. (See attachment for more information.) The SDE
would use S02 proceeds to replicate this workshop across the state and reach more Idaho teachers. In addition, the
SDE has the expertise and tools needed to evaluate the effectiveness of energy education currculum in Idaho schools
on a regular basis. Than you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Tom Luna, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction
Ofce Location
650 West State Street
Telephone
208-332-6800
Speech/Hearing Impaired
1-800-377-3529
Fax
208-334-2228
Jean Jewell
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
TRLuna(isde. idaho. gov
Wednesday, February 04, 2009 6:04 AM
Jean Jewell; Beverly Barker; Gene Fadness; Ed Howell
PUC Comment Form
A Comment from Tom Luna follows:
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Case Number: 3ß699
Name: Tom Luna
Address: 6Sß W State Street
City: Boise
State: ID
Zip: 8372ß-ßß27
Daytime Telep~one: 2ß8-332-681S
Contact E-Mail: TRLuna~sde.idaho.gov
Name of Utili ty Company: Idaho Power Co.
Add to Mailing List: yes
Please describe your comment briefly:
Here is the attachment that should have been with the original comments sent on 2/3/2ßß9:
Media Contact:
Mary Spruill, Executive Director
Rebecca Lamb, i Program Director
The NEED Project
1-8ßß-87S-Sß29
mspruill~need. org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Idaho Department of Education, Idaho National Laboratory, Skyline High School and the
National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project join forces to teach Idaho educators
about energy
Idaho Falls, ID. - October 3 - Educators in Idaho are getting energized about education
through a partnership of the Idaho Department of Education, The Idaho National Laboratory and
the NEED Project. For two days - October 2-3, thirty-five educators from across the state
attended the Idaho Energy Conference for Educators hosted as part of the state's Teacher
Professional Development Conference, but allowing selected attendees to spend their time
doing hands-on energy experiments, touring local renewable energy facilities, and learning
how to implement comprehensive energy curriculum from the National Energy Education
Development (NEED) Project into their K-12 classrooms.
(fI am pleased that the State Department of Education was able to bring together partners to
provide Idaho teachers with an opportunity to learn about the science of energy - energy
transformations, renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, electricity generation,
transportation, and energy efficiency and conservation," said Mary Spruill, NEED's Executive
Director. "Through this program thousands of school children will learn about energy, how it
is produced in Idaho and throughout the country, and how they can use energy more
efficiently.
The educators in attendance received core curriculum materials to prepare themselves and
their students to learn about energy. The materials included a class-set of Energy Infobooks
(student readers) that provide background information for students to create a baseline of
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energy knowledge in concert with hands -on explorations. Educators were provided a hands -on
classroom kit that taught about energy transformations, solar, wind or hydrogen.
The program kicks off a long-term energy education initiative in Idaho designed to bring
together the talents of the local community, the State Education Department, and the
curriculum and training expertise of a well-respected national energy education program.
To learn more about the program contact:
Mary Spruill, Executive Director
The NEED Project
1-8ßß-87S-Sß29
The form submitted on http://www . puc. idaho. gov /forms/ipuc1/ipuc. html
IP address is 164.165.153. ß
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