Oberlin College's commitment to green-power purchases makes it the only liberal arts college to earn a spot on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) list of top 10 college and university Green Power Partners. The College is being recognized for its voluntary purchase of 12,872 megawatt-hours of green power in the form of solar, biogas, and small hydro-generated electricity from the Oberlin Municipal Light and Power System (OMLPS).

"The EPA applauds Oberlin College for being one of the top 10 college and university green power purchasers," says Blaine Collison, program director of the EPA's Green Power Partnership. "Oberlin is leading by example and setting a standard of environmental leadership for its peer institutions."

The decision to purchase green energy from OMLPS is part of a comprehensive environmental policy adopted by the College in March 2004 to address campus energy consumption, building construction and operation, land use, and transportation. In addition, the College's purchase of green energy contributes to the town's newly developed Sustainable Energy Reserve Fund, which sponsors household energy conservation, tree planting to capture carbon dioxide, and renewable energy projects that benefit Oberlin residents.

"Our agreement with OMLPS is unique in tying the cost of purchasing green energy to energy reductions on campus and in adding the premium that the College will pay to the town's Sustainable Energy Reserve Fund," says John Petersen, associate professor of environmental studies and biology and one of the plan's architects. "And, by purchasing all of the available green energy from OMLPS, we are expanding the renewable energy market and encouraging suppliers to offer their customers green options."

Oberlin College consumes approximately 20,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year. The 12,872 megawatt-hours of green energy purchased from OMLPS will meet more than 60 percent of the College's electricity needs, and will effectively offset the release of 12,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to a 25 percent reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions for the institution as a whole.

The EPA's recent release of this top 10 list marks the first time institutions of higher education have been recognized in the Green Power Partnership. When combined, the purchases made by these colleges and universities amount to 216,000 megawatt-hours of green power annually. This is enough renewable energy to power 20,000 homes or is equivalent to removing the emissions of 26,000 cars from the air.

The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary EPA program that seeks to increase the use of green power among leading U.S. organizations. The partnership provides technical assistance and recognition to businesses and nonprofits that commit to purchasing electricity from green sources. Green power is defined by the partnership as electricity products that are partially or entirely generated from environmentally preferable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, and low-impact biomass and hydro resources.

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