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greenm78@uwosh.edu sent you the following story from UW Oshkosh News Bulletin (http://www.uwosh.edu/news_bureau/bulletin/news/):
Monday February 7, 2005
Campus increases commitment to renewable energy
By
The UW-Oshkosh has signed a commitment to increase its purchase of renewable energy by 33 percent in the coming year.
In 2003, UW-Oshkosh became the first Wisconsin university to join the Environmental Protection Agency?s <em>Green Power Partnership </em>after it signed an agreement with Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) Corp. to make Wisconsin-produced renewable energy at least 3 percent of its annual energy purchase.
The new agreement commits UW-Oshkosh to make renewable energy at least 4 percent of its annual energy purchase.
The first agreement made UW-Oshkosh the biggest user of green power in Wisconsin. The new agreement with WPS increases its lead over other ?green? energy purchasers.
?This new agreement with WPS increases our strong commitment to a ?green? campus,? Chancellor <strong>Richard H. Wells </strong>said. ?The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has recognized our commitment nationally. By continuing efforts to conserve water, electricity and steam; support the international Earth Charter; and recycle wherever feasible, we will remain a distinctively ?green? campus.?
WPS Corp. CEO <strong>Larry Weyers</strong> praised the campus.
"UW-Oshkosh has once again demonstrated its leadership in supporting the environment by increasing its purchase of NatureWise® for 2005," Weyers said. "Even during this era of tight budgets, the campus continues to raise the bar as the state's largest purchaser of electricity from renewable energy sources. We congratulate Chancellor Wells and everyone at the university for making environmental stewardship a top priority."
In May 2003, UW-Oshkosh became the 10th campus nationwide to join the EPA?s <em>Green Power Partnership</em>. Wells and two students were presented a <em>Green Power Purchaser Award </em>at Marquette University, along with Alterra Coffee Roaster, Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative and Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.
UW-Oshkosh earned one of six 2003-2004 NWF <em>Campus Ecology Recognition Awards</em> for its campus environmental audit.
In fall 2002, the university established an environmental studies major, the only one with a fully interdisciplinary curriculum at a UW System school.
The campus is working with Johnson Controls Inc. on a second Wisconsin Energy Initiative, which will save $103,293 in utility expenses during the coming year. Two years ago, the first initiative saved about $141,000 a year.
In October, construction was finished on a $2.7-million environmental controls system to clean coal-based exhaust emissions from the campus heating plant.
Copyright UW Oshkosh
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