Marketing and Communications
Southern Oregon University Student Body Votes to Instate Green Energy Fee
04/27/2007
SOU in Ashland, Ore. becomes first campus in the state to offset 100% of its electricity use and natural gas emissions with renewable energy
This week during a campus wide vote the Southern Oregon University (SOU) student body approved of a Green Energy Fee to offset 100% of SOU's energy consumption, including electricity and natural gas used to power all university facilities. The majority vote was 85% percent in favor of the Green Energy Fee. With this vote, SOU will become the first Oregon campus to offset all of its electricity and natural gas with renewable energy added to the grid.
Led by Students for a Sustainable Future (SSF), a student coalition dedicated to encouraging green energy use on campus, the Green Energy Fee referendum is the result of several months of research and work. In November 2006, the group of students began meeting to explore how SOU could join universities nationwide that are taking steps to offset their energy consumption through various green power programs.
Building on the models used by other regional universities purchasing clean energy, such as Western Washington University and Evergreen State College, SSF agreed that the democratic process would be the best way to push a Green Energy Fee forward. With a majority vote of the student body, SOU students would themselves decide if their campus will offset its energy consumption with renewable energy.
A question that SSF discussed early on was exactly what should be offset, deliberating whether to pursue a 100% electricity offset, or to go smaller, maybe 25% or 50%. Another idea considered was going beyond just an electricity offset and offsetting the carbon dioxide emitted by the natural gas used to heat and cool the school. SSF members decided to “go big,” to pursue what no other school in Oregon (and possibly in the US) is yet doing: a 100% offset of electricity and natural gas.
Working with SOU Facilities Management, SSF determined the amount of energy used at SOU in 2006. Jared Fuhriman, Utility Plant Supervisor, acquired electricity and natural gas data for the entire campus over the past year: 13,764,855 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 969,464 therms of natural gas.
Next, SSF worked with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to calculate that 21,872 Green Tags, or renewable energy certificates (RECs), would be needed to offset SOU’s kilowatt hour usage, plus the carbon dioxide emitted by natural gas consumption. One Green Tag represents 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity produced by a renewable energy facility, like a wind farm or solar project.
Once the energy data and offsets were calculated, SSF created a petition statement and a formal proposal in order to have the Green Energy Fee referendum added to the ballot during annual Spring elections for student government. The petition statement reads:
“We the students of Southern Oregon University (SOU) resolve to assess all students a ‘Green Energy’ fee not to exceed $15 per term. This fee will purchase 100% renewable energy credits (RECs) to offset all natural gas and electricity consumed at SOU starting in Fall 2007. This fee will expire unless renewed at the end of the 2011-2012 academic year. The RECs are to be Green-e certified and purchased through a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.”
Over the course of four weeks, SSF members far exceeded the minimum number of 500 signatures needed create a campus wide Green Energy Fee vote, acquiring over 650 signatures. The signatures were certified by the University, and the Green Energy Fee Referendum was added to the ballot.
By passing the Green Energy Fee with a majority of the voting student body, SOU demonstrates its commitment to curb the advance of climate change, build a clean energy infrastructure and encourage regional economic development. It also establishes SOU as leader in sustainability for our community and for other universities.
SSF will continue working on this project during summer session in an effort to begin the Green Energy Fee by the Fall 2007 term.
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