As the new home of WashPIRG's environmental work, Environment Washington can be contacted regarding this news release.
OLYMPIA—In a campus-wide
referendum that ended last week, The Evergreen State College students voted
to offset the campus' electricity use with energy from clean renewable sources
such as wind and solar power. A new student fee of $1 per credit will pay for
the purchase of Green Tags (renewable energy certificates) equal to the amount
of electricity used by the campus each year. Green Tags, often sold by electric
utility companies such as Puget Sound Energy, are a way of subsidizing the production
of renewable energy. The students overwhelmingly supported the initiative by
a vote of 1102 to 112.
This initiative is the culmination
of coordinated efforts by student and community groups working together as the
Clean Energy Coalition. "This is a big step towards campus sustainability
and it shows Evergreen students commitment to protecting the environment and
slowing global warming," said Brad Bishop, the Clean Energy Coalition coordinator
and WashPIRG chapter member. The non-profit organizations Climate Solutions
and EnviroCitizen offered support to students on campus who led the campaign.
The campaign was inspired
by students at Western Washington University, who last spring voted to charge
themselves up to $19 per quarter to offset 100 percent of the campus' energy
use with clean energy. Evergreen will be the second university in the state
to make this commitment. Different from the system at Western, the Evergreen
fee will be split into two pots, with 10 percent of the money raised staying
at Evergreen to fund student research projects for developing of renewable energy
production on campus. The remainder of the money raised by the new fee will
be to purchase Green Tags equal to the total electricity use on the college.
"This is a great initiative
by the students to implement a plan to improve the environment." said Art
Costantino, Evergreen's Vice President of Finance and Administration.
The supporters of this initiative
hope that this effort will spur the development of clean and renewable energy
industry here in the Northwest and eliminate Evergreen's contribution to global
warming.
"Institutional commitments
to clean energy are an important step towards kicking the fossil fuel habit.
Evergreen students recognize this and are ready to make it happen," said
Leon Smith, Energy Outreach Coordinator for Climate Solutions.
"Energy is one of the
most pressing issues of our time and students across the country are taking
the lead," said Crystal Leaver, the Northwest Field Organizer for EnviroCitizen.
Evergreen's Clean Energy
Coalition is made up of the student groups WashPIRG, Students at Evergreen for
Ecological Design, Environmental Resource Center, Developing Ecological Agriculture
Practices, and implementation will now be facilitated by Greener Futures.
