Energy at the U: Renewable energy purchases near top of EPA green power ranking
By: Dustin Gardiner
Issue date: 1/9/08 Section: News
When it comes to supporting renewable energy, the U outshines most of its peer institutions.
The U is one of the largest purchasers of renewable energy among colleges and universities in the United States, thanks to the efforts of students and a cooperative of staff and faculty members.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U was the 11th biggest buyer of green energy for a college in the last quarter of 2007. The school purchased 36,666,000 kilowatt hours (or about $110,000 worth) of renewable electricity last year -- the equivalent of 15 percent of the campus' total power use.
The U purchases wind power credits, which indicate that a certain amount of power generated from wind turbines is directed into the western power grid.
The U's program, called Campaigns for Sustainable Energy, is a cooperative of individual departments and groups on campus that donate money to purchase a big chunk of wind power once or twice each year. Staff and faculty members voluntarily contribute to the effort. On average, each staff member is asked to donate $30 annually.
Each department or group creates its own campaign and goals. Some are completely climate neutral, meaning they purchase enough credits to cover their department's heat and electricity use as well as faculty air travel. Others pay to only cover a portion of their power use.
Chris Hill, a professor in the department of biochemistry, has lead the effort since 2006. Hill said he wanted to increase the amount of wind energy already being purchased by the student government.
The Associated Students of the University of Utah increased student fees by $1 in 2005 to buy wind power. Hill has since worked with groups on campus to start additional campaigns, and the U's wind purchases have steadily increased.
Hill said the cooperative works well because it allows individuals to purchase credits cheaper than if they were buying them on their own. Normally, wind power could cost as much as $20 per megawatt-hour. The U pays $3.
Hill said the program allows people on campus to combat warming together.
"Most people don't feel too enthusiastic about trying to save the planet on their own," Hill said.
Utah primarily gets its power from coal-burning power plants. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions from coal and other fossil fuels are causing global warming.
Although the amount of wind power the U buys has increased, the U has actually fallen in the EPA's ranking. In 2006, the U was ranked as the third largest purchaser of renewable energy among U.S. universities. The U has since dropped to 11th place as other schools start purchasing renewable energy.
James Critchfield, who works with the EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division, said more schools are purchasing green power because it is a simple and quick way to become environmentally friendly and comply with agreements such as the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which the U is considering signing.
Although employees and students are contributing money to buy wind power, the U's administration has not used its budget to support the effort.
Orfeo Kostrencich, associate director for energy management at the U, said the U strongly supports the idea, but cannot afford to support the effort financially. He said because the U continually runs a deficit in its utility budget it would be "financially irresponsible" to contribute.
For more information on Campaigns for Sustainable Energy, visit windpower.utah.edu.
d.gardiner@chronicle.utah.edu
The U is one of the largest purchasers of renewable energy among colleges and universities in the United States, thanks to the efforts of students and a cooperative of staff and faculty members.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U was the 11th biggest buyer of green energy for a college in the last quarter of 2007. The school purchased 36,666,000 kilowatt hours (or about $110,000 worth) of renewable electricity last year -- the equivalent of 15 percent of the campus' total power use.
The U purchases wind power credits, which indicate that a certain amount of power generated from wind turbines is directed into the western power grid.
The U's program, called Campaigns for Sustainable Energy, is a cooperative of individual departments and groups on campus that donate money to purchase a big chunk of wind power once or twice each year. Staff and faculty members voluntarily contribute to the effort. On average, each staff member is asked to donate $30 annually.
Each department or group creates its own campaign and goals. Some are completely climate neutral, meaning they purchase enough credits to cover their department's heat and electricity use as well as faculty air travel. Others pay to only cover a portion of their power use.
Chris Hill, a professor in the department of biochemistry, has lead the effort since 2006. Hill said he wanted to increase the amount of wind energy already being purchased by the student government.
The Associated Students of the University of Utah increased student fees by $1 in 2005 to buy wind power. Hill has since worked with groups on campus to start additional campaigns, and the U's wind purchases have steadily increased.
Hill said the cooperative works well because it allows individuals to purchase credits cheaper than if they were buying them on their own. Normally, wind power could cost as much as $20 per megawatt-hour. The U pays $3.
Hill said the program allows people on campus to combat warming together.
"Most people don't feel too enthusiastic about trying to save the planet on their own," Hill said.
Utah primarily gets its power from coal-burning power plants. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions from coal and other fossil fuels are causing global warming.
Although the amount of wind power the U buys has increased, the U has actually fallen in the EPA's ranking. In 2006, the U was ranked as the third largest purchaser of renewable energy among U.S. universities. The U has since dropped to 11th place as other schools start purchasing renewable energy.
James Critchfield, who works with the EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division, said more schools are purchasing green power because it is a simple and quick way to become environmentally friendly and comply with agreements such as the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which the U is considering signing.
Although employees and students are contributing money to buy wind power, the U's administration has not used its budget to support the effort.
Orfeo Kostrencich, associate director for energy management at the U, said the U strongly supports the idea, but cannot afford to support the effort financially. He said because the U continually runs a deficit in its utility budget it would be "financially irresponsible" to contribute.
For more information on Campaigns for Sustainable Energy, visit windpower.utah.edu.
d.gardiner@chronicle.utah.edu
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