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Conn recognized for purchasing more green power than peer institutions

April 18, 2007

Connecticut College has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the 2006-2007 Individual Conference Champion for purchasing more green power than any other school in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).

Connecticut College was recognized during a ceremony at the second annual Campus Sustainability Conference in College Park, Md. on April 18.

Connecticut College beat out its conference rivals by purchasing 15 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, representing 100 percent of the school's annual purchased electricity. Connecticut College is purchasing 100 percent, Green-e® Certified, wind energy certificates from 3 Phases Energy Services, which helps to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the campus' purchased electricity.

EPA estimates that Connecticut College's purchase of green power is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 1,200 average American homes each year. This purchase will have the impact of reducing the equivalent amount of CO2 emissions from nearly 2,100 passenger cars annually.

"EPA applauds Connecticut College's purchase of green power and for its leadership among the New England Small College Athletic Conference," said Bill Wehrum, EPA's acting assistant administrator for air and radiation. "Colleges and universities around the nation are setting great examples by taking steps to protect the environment. Connecticut College's commitment demonstrates that what's good for the environment is also good for higher education."

Connecticut College Vice President for Administration Ulysses Hammond said this renewable energy initiative, which is a joint effort between students and administration, strengthens the college's position as one of the most environmentally committed campuses in the country.

"The college offsetting 100 percent of its annual electricity consumption is a milestone to this environmental initiative," Hammond said.

Six years ago, the college's student-led Renewable Energy Club proposed that each student pay a $25 a year per student surcharge to support the use of renewable energy. The measure passed overwhelmingly and as a result has helped offset millions of pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA presented two categories of awards for its 2006-2007 College & University Green Power Challenge:

1) Individual Conference Champions - To recognize the school that has made the largest individual purchase of green power within a qualifying conference;

2) Collective Conference Champions - To recognize the conference, and its respective participating schools, whose collective green power purchase was the largest among all participating conferences.

EPA has been tracking green power purchasing among collegiate athletic conferences through its College & University Green Power Challenge, which concluded today with 33 schools and 16 conferences participating nationwide. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/hi_ed_challenge.htm.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Green power is considered cleaner than conventional sources of electricity and has lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a greenhouse gas linked to global climate change. Purchases of green power help to accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.

While the college is purchasing wind RECs to offset its electricity usage, its faculty, staff and students are working hard to reduce their energy usage. Two recent initiatives include the college's "dial-down campaign" in which thermostats in campus buildings were lowered to reduce the college's heating oil use, and the student-led "Concert from Conservation," competition between residence halls to reduce the consumption of heating fuel and electricity on campus.

EPA's Green Power Partnership encourages organizations to purchase green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Green Power Partnership currently has hundreds of Partners voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, trade associations, as well as colleges and universities. For additional information please visit www.epa.gov/greenpower.

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For media inquiries contact: Amy Martin (860) 439-2526; a.martin@conncoll.edu