In the recurring sustainability theme here at OSU, the EPA just released its College and University Green Power Challenge results. OSU came in fourth in the nation overall and first in the Pac-10. This last year, OSU purchased 66,680,400 kilowatt hours (kWh) of green/sustainable energy, good for 74% of our total power usage. OSU student pay a self levied surcharge of $8.50 per term to allow the university to purchase power from renewable sources.

During the 2007-2008 academic year, EPA has tracked the green power purchasing of colleges and universities across collegiate athletic conferences. These conferences and their representative schools are displaying environmental leadership by buying green power to reduce the environmental impacts associated with their conventional electricity use. To take part in the Green Power Challenge, a conference’s member schools must be purchasing a combined total of at least 10 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power.

View the entire report here.

OSU is by far the most prolific user of green power in the Pacific Northwest! Another example of OSU walking the sustainability walk.

UPDATE: Thanks to the Oregonian for the nod. -bv

-jm