The University of Hawaii is hoping federal economic stimulus money will help its 10 campuses repair crumbling buildings and replace outdated air-conditioning and electrical systems.

UH has identified $182 million worth of projects that, if funded, are ready to go and could create jobs within 90 days, said Brian Minaai, UH associate vice president for capital improvements.

“;This (stimulus funds) would be a good opportunity to catch up on our backlog,”; Minaai said.

But it is too early to say whether UH will get a share of the $825 billion stimulus bill working its way through Congress.

Without federal money, the backlog of repair and maintenance projects - now estimated at $351 million - appears likely to grow.

The state budget submitted to the Legislature by Gov. Linda Lingle does not provide enough money to make a dent in the deferred maintenance backlog, Minaai said.

“;We're going backwards again,”; he added.

    Minaai said the university has identified about $88.1 million in needed repair projects next year and $72.8 million in 2010.

The governor's budget only provides about $61.4 million next year and $72.8 million in 2010. That would add about $26.7 million to the backlog. Inflation will also increase the cost of repairs, Minaai said.

UH had asked the governor for $197 million next year and $137 million in 2010 for repair and maintenance projects.

State Sen. Jill Tokuda, chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Committee and a member of the Ways and Means Committee, said it is too early to say whether the Legislature will be able to increase the amount of state construction money for UH.

  “;I think in order to really make a dent in their backlog, it's going to take federal and state money combined,”; Tokuda said.

House and Senate lawmakers have scheduled a briefing Tuesday to take a closer look at the university's repair and maintenance projects.

Tokuda said legislators want to look at the projects that are ready to go as a way of stimulating the economy, but they also want to know how the university plans to maintain its buildings in the future.

The stimulus projects identified also include new construction. They range from $35 million for UH-West Oahu's new campus to re-roofing jobs, air conditioning replacement, solar energy installation and a new road for the new West Hawaii Community College campus.

Jennifer Goto Sabas, chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, now chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said Congress and the president want to get stimulus money to universities and public schools.

But, she said, because the stimulus bill will not contain so-called “;earmarks”; that designate money for specific projects, UH will have to apply and compete with other requests to get the money.

One problem with providing construction money for education projects is that kind of funding is normally done by state and local governments, Goto Sabas said.

Highway infrastructure projects can get to states and counties by simply increasing federal funding for existing programs, she said, but there are no mechanisms on the federal level to fund education construction.

Some UH projects, like building a road to the new West Hawaii Community College campus, might be funded through highway dollars, she said.

“;Education funding is up in the air,”; Goto Sabas said. “;(Appropriations) committee staff are trying to figure out how to do it without having to create a new program.”;

Dave Helfert, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, said Hawaii's congressional delegation is trying to make sure money gets to UH even if there are no earmarks.

“;The question is how to aim it at Hawaii in a way that allows UH to get as much as possible,”; he said.