About 124 schools are being asked to pay as much as $26,000 for "excessive" energy usage following a yearlong effort by the state Department of Education to reduce electricity consumption.

Education officials say they will review many of the assessments, which could be reduced if special circumstances existed. However, the majority of schools that failed to cut energy usage are being told that they must pay for the excess.

Another 120 schools were notified last week that they could receive rebates ranging from $2 to $45,000 for saving electricity, DOE officials said.

The charges and rebates are part of the DOE's Energy Conservation Program, which started this school year and is intended to encourage electricity conservation in schools statewide.

"Our utility costs are going north at a much more rapid rate," said Randy Moore, assistant superintendent of business services for the DOE. "Every dollar we spend on electricity, we don't get to spend on books, teachers and so forth."

While many schools were able to reduce energy usage, about half of the schools statewide increased their consumption, according to DOE figures.

Education officials calculated each school's three-year average kilowatt hour usage from 2003 to 2006. Schools were then asked at the start of the school year to keep consumption below the three-year average.

Schools were told if they reduced their energy costs, they'd receive a rebate for half the value of what they saved. However schools that increased their energy usage would have to pay back half the value.

"Some schools have changed their behaviors and that has saved them electricity. Others didn't pay any attention to it, and they are the ones having to pay," Moore said.

At Aliamanu Elementary School in Salt Lake, teachers and students were able to reduce their energy consumption during the June to December 2007 time period, and the school is expected to get a rebate.

Principal Jane Sugimoto said she sent constant reminders to teachers to turn lights off when no one is in the classroom. Teachers also were asked to unplug items such as overhead projectors when they weren't being used, and to turn off computers overnight.

"I told the teachers we need to save electricity because I didn't want to have to repay," Sugimoto said.

"We tried to do what any good budgeter would do: Try to make sure we don't waste."

THE COOLING FACTOR

At neighboring Aliamanu Middle School, it was a different story. The school's energy consumption increased by some $20,000 when the school's June to December 2007 usage was compared to its historical average, according to the DOE.

That means the school is likely to be charged about $10,000.

But principal Robert Eggleston said the charge doesn't take into account that the school just added more than 12 air conditioning units to classrooms this school year.

"Of course, if you add air conditioners, the cost is going to go up," Eggleston said.

The DOE uses average energy consumption from 2003 to 2006 as the base for all schools. Since Aliamanu added air conditioners this school year, its electricity spiked above the three-year average and it got tagged with a $10,000 bill.

Eggleston said he isn't against paying extra for excessive energy consumption, but he said schools should be assessed fairly. Schools that had air conditioning prior to 2003 will have the air conditioning costs included in their three-year average.

Education officials are expected to review Aliamanu's situation.

"We haven't sent them a bill," Moore said. "Their increase was 20.8 percent. If it's over 15 percent, either up or down, we may have failed to account for something that happened at the school.

"It is possible that Aliamanu put in a bunch of individual air conditioning units and now consumption is much higher."

REVIEWING THE ISSUE

Other schools whose energy usage increased or decreased by more than 15 percent are also being reviewed before a charge or rebate is assessed, Moore said.

The DOE is taking into account any changes that have occurred to school facilities after the 2003 to 2006 average was calculated, Moore said. For instance, some schools may have changed their light fixtures or they may allow outside groups to use facilities on the weekends. Others, like Aliamanu Middle, may have added air conditioners.

The increase in electricity usage at Niu Valley Middle School is likely due to increased enrollment, said principal Justin Mew.

Mew said he believes schools need to be more "green" and environmentally conscious. But he said he isn't sure this program is the best way to go about it.

Niu Valley Middle is expected to pay back $3,410, but Mew said the school is asking the DOE to review its case.

"Our enrollment is up 70 percent since our baseline was calculated," Mew said. "We had to hire more staff, increase our programs, all of which consume more electricity."

School principals also are concerned that the money that is going to pay back the DOE for excessive electricity usage could have been used for something else.

"That's two laptop computers, if you want to look it that way," Mew said. "It could have gone to paper, supplies, science equipment, sports equipment."