The Hudson Independent School District has received a matching grant for updates to the middle school’s energy-efficient air-conditioning system.

The $10,307 grant from Oncor is part of the Take A Load Off, Texas School Matching Grant Program.

According to a press release, the School Matching Grant Program was created to help schools save energy by implementing energy efficiency improvements.

Director of Maintenance Billy Russell said four “rooftop package units” were installed on the No. 10 building at Hudson Middle School as part of an ongoing renovation project for the science building.

“The original equipment we took off were 1983 model units,” Russell said. “So these (new units) should save us some money.”

The district applied for the grant in October 2009.

Hudson’s new air conditioning system will save more than 10,600 kilowatt-hours of energy annually, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 900 gallons of gasoline, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculations.

Matching grants fund 50 percent of a project up to $25,000 and include lighting, HVAC, roofing, motor or window film projects. Grant applications are based on several criteria, including financial need and energy savings.

The district has been updating other air conditioning units, retrofitting lights and working on a energy management plan to become more cost- and energy-efficient, Russell said.

“We’re proud of the accomplishments of Hudson ISD and thrilled to present this grant check,” Oncor Area Manager David Collier said in the release. “This is exactly the type of energy-saving project the School Matching Grant Program was created to encourage.”

All public schools receiving electric service through Oncor wires are eligible to apply for matching grant funding to pay for energy efficiency upgrades.