Last night we told you how the Marion County public schools have saved more than 3-million dollars in energy costs over the past two years. Tonight we look at how Alachua County schools is behind in doing the same.

The greatest cost to operating schools is powering them, keeping the lights on costs more than ever. But energy efficiency isn't a new concept in Alachua county.

This week Marion County is boasting the savings of more than 3 million dollars due to an energy conservation plan they put in place two years ago. And according to Alachua County school board member Eileen Roy the school district had the opportunity to do the same.

The school board paid an energy consultant 26-thousand dollars in February, 2007 to come up with a district-wide plan but little has happened.

"For the last year and a half the consultant hasn't done anything to save a penny of energy in that time," said Roy.

Director of Facilities for Alachua County schools says the cost-saving incentive plan will be rolled out this August.

"We wanted to start that at the beginning of the year, we missed the deadline for the start of this school year so we moved it to the following year," said Gable.

Stacey Samuel