University of Utah rises in ranking with green campus power

SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah is now ranked fourth in the nation on the Environmental Protection Agency's "green power partners" list for its use of green power on campus.

The list annually recognizes institutions of higher education that have made steps toward reducing the environmental impacts of electricity use or have supported the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide. There are three ways for a school to qualify — with renewable energy certificates, on-site generation of energy, or utility green power products.

Utah jumped six spots since last year thanks to its voluntary purchase of 62 million kilowatt-hours of wind-generated electricity and a small, solar photovoltaic energy program. The only schools ranked ahead of Utah are the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University and Pennsylvania State University.

Last year, the Utes campaigned for the creation of a small student fee to help pay for clean energy purchases. Then, Chris Hill, a biochemistry professor, expanded the campaign to allow voluntary contributions from faculty, staff, alumni and the public.

The EPA estimates that 23 percent of Utah's electricity consumption comes from green power usage.

"Green power purchases allow us to reduce our footprint even further in a cost effective way," said sustainability coordinator Jen Colby. "It's an honor to be in the top five nationally."

— Amanda Pierce