April 22: Kaptur Praises Oberlin College for Winning 'Green Energy' Championship
April 22, 2009
Rep.Marcy Kaptur congratulated Oberlin College for winning the “Green PowerChallenge” in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) for the thirdconsecutive year.
"The Oberlin College community is leading the way, not only in itsown athletic conference but throughout Northern Ohio, with its amazingcommitment to green energy and sustainable development," said Kaptur, astaunch advocate of alternative energy and energy independence for theUnited States.
For the past three years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA) has tracked green power purchases by colleges and universitiesacross collegiate athletic conferences.
To participate in the challenge and earn a listing, a conferencemust have an aggregate green power purchase of at least 10 millionkilowatt-hours between member institutions. Oberlin College carried theNCAC almost on its own with 9.98 million kilowatt-hours of green powerin 2008-2009. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. was the other NCACschool to participate.
Kaptur noted that Oberlin was the only Ohio college or university toparticipate in the competition. She urged other Ohio schools toparticipate in the Green Power Challenge. "Our institutions of highereducation should be in the arena, moving the ball forward on greenpower, not sitting on the sidelines," she said.
In 2004, Oberlin College agreed to buy a utility green power productfrom Oberlin Municipal Light & Power and generate green poweron-site, which helps reduce the environmental effects associated withthe campus’ electricity use.
In the 12 months of the Green Power competition, Oberlin’spurchase represented 41 percent of the school’s annual electricityusage. The purchase equaled the amount of electricity needed to poweralmost 1,000 average American homes each year; the college’s “carbonfootprint” has been reduced by approximately 12,000 tons annually.
“Oberlin College is pleased to be recognized for its commitment toreducing its carbon footprint through the purchase of renewableenergy,” says Marvin Krislov, President of Oberlin College. “Globalwarming is one of the most important issues we face today, not only inthe United States but throughout the world. We at Oberlin Collegebelieve it is important to be a leader in facing this challenge througheducation and action.”
“We congratulate Oberlin,” said Cheryl Newton, director of EPA Region5’s Air and Radiation Division. “They’re helping to improve the air webreathe and cutting greenhouse gases that contribute to globalwarming.”
This year’s challenge included 44 competing institutionsrepresenting 22 different conferences nationwide. The University ofPennsylvania was the overall champion with a purchase of almost 193million kilowatt hours of green power. The Ivy League, of which Penn isa member, was this year’s overall champion conference with a cumulativeannual purchase of more than 225 million kilowatt hours.
EPA’s Green Power Partnership encourages organizations to buygreen power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associatedwith traditional fossil fuel-based electricity use. The partnershipincludes a diverse set of organizations including Fortune 500companies, small and medium businesses, government institutions as wellas a growing number of colleges and universities.
More information on EPA’s College and University Green Power Challenge and the list of winners is at https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/initiatives/cu_challenge.htm .
"The Oberlin College community is leading the way, not only in itsown athletic conference but throughout Northern Ohio, with its amazingcommitment to green energy and sustainable development," said Kaptur, astaunch advocate of alternative energy and energy independence for theUnited States.
For the past three years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA) has tracked green power purchases by colleges and universitiesacross collegiate athletic conferences.
To participate in the challenge and earn a listing, a conferencemust have an aggregate green power purchase of at least 10 millionkilowatt-hours between member institutions. Oberlin College carried theNCAC almost on its own with 9.98 million kilowatt-hours of green powerin 2008-2009. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. was the other NCACschool to participate.
Kaptur noted that Oberlin was the only Ohio college or university toparticipate in the competition. She urged other Ohio schools toparticipate in the Green Power Challenge. "Our institutions of highereducation should be in the arena, moving the ball forward on greenpower, not sitting on the sidelines," she said.
In 2004, Oberlin College agreed to buy a utility green power productfrom Oberlin Municipal Light & Power and generate green poweron-site, which helps reduce the environmental effects associated withthe campus’ electricity use.
In the 12 months of the Green Power competition, Oberlin’spurchase represented 41 percent of the school’s annual electricityusage. The purchase equaled the amount of electricity needed to poweralmost 1,000 average American homes each year; the college’s “carbonfootprint” has been reduced by approximately 12,000 tons annually.
“Oberlin College is pleased to be recognized for its commitment toreducing its carbon footprint through the purchase of renewableenergy,” says Marvin Krislov, President of Oberlin College. “Globalwarming is one of the most important issues we face today, not only inthe United States but throughout the world. We at Oberlin Collegebelieve it is important to be a leader in facing this challenge througheducation and action.”
“We congratulate Oberlin,” said Cheryl Newton, director of EPA Region5’s Air and Radiation Division. “They’re helping to improve the air webreathe and cutting greenhouse gases that contribute to globalwarming.”
This year’s challenge included 44 competing institutionsrepresenting 22 different conferences nationwide. The University ofPennsylvania was the overall champion with a purchase of almost 193million kilowatt hours of green power. The Ivy League, of which Penn isa member, was this year’s overall champion conference with a cumulativeannual purchase of more than 225 million kilowatt hours.
EPA’s Green Power Partnership encourages organizations to buygreen power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associatedwith traditional fossil fuel-based electricity use. The partnershipincludes a diverse set of organizations including Fortune 500companies, small and medium businesses, government institutions as wellas a growing number of colleges and universities.
More information on EPA’s College and University Green Power Challenge and the list of winners is at https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/initiatives/cu_challenge.htm .