The University of Phoenix, in partnership with local Phoenix, Arizona energy provider Salt River Project (SRP), announced yesterday that they will make the largest purchase of renewable energy tax certificates in Arizona history.
The University will buy 46.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits, equivalent to all of its Phoenix campus’ annual consumption and 27% of its more than 200 campuses across the county. It is also enough power to keep the lights, computers, and TVs going in 3,800 American homes for a year or removing the carbon emissions of 5,280 cars.
University of Phoenix is purchasing the credits from the Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility in Washington state through SRP’s EarthWise program.
As a result of the purchase, the University of Phoenix is ranked 7th on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Top 20 College & University Partner List“.
How Renewable Energy Certificates Work
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are tradable U.S. environmental commodities that represent 1 megawatt-hour of renewable energy generated from an eligible source. The REC provides a means of tracking energy produced from renewable sources and is a way to support the industry without actually requiring the arrangement for the transmission and delivery of the electricity.
Each actual megawatt of renewable electricity generated is delivered to the grid where it is mixed with electricity from all sources. With each renewable megawatt generated there is also the associated REC that can either be bundled with the physical electricity or sold to a separate buyer, at which point the electricity itself is no longer considered “green”. Therefore, it is the REC that conveys the “benefits and attributes” of renewable energy and not the electricity itself.
It is through REC’s that the University of Phoenix is able to “green” such a substantial share of their total energy use. “It’s not easy to find a (renewable-energy) program in the state of Arizona that will power our energy needs” says University of Phoenix public affairs vice president Ayla Dickey. The credits support renewable energy even if the actual energy is not locally available to meet demand.
The credits purchased by the university will be audited by third-party Green-e, run by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions.
Greening Monday Night Football
The University of Phoenix and its partner Salt River Project helped bring home the importance of sustainability and investing in renewable energy by purchasing 95,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity for the football game Monday night between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, played in the University’s namesake stadium in Glendale . The REC’s helped offset all aspects of the game’s energy footprint, from the scoreboard, to the concessions, to lighting for the entire facility.
Taking the University’s Lead
Salt River Project hopes that such a large and highly visible purchase of REC’s from the University of Phoenix will encourage more businesses and organization in the area to follow suit. “We are pleased to partner with University of Phoenix in supporting clean energy and we encourage other institutions in the Valley to follow the University’s lead”, says Richard Hayslip, associate general manager of SRP.
For its part, the University of Phoenix acknowledges its responsibility to take steps toward environmental responsibility and sustainability: “As the need for renewable energy is growing nationally and globally, we recognize our responsibility to take care of the environment now and for future generations,” said Dr. William Pepicello, president of University of Phoenix.
Image Credits: iStockPhoto, Environmental Protection Agency
About Tom Schueneman
Energy Independence needs to be included in the realm of our economic issues. Our dependence on foreign oil impacts every aspect of our society and economy. This past year is a testimony to that fact. Jeff Wilson has a great new book out called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is worried about our economy and interested in seeing our country energy independent. http://www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
Check out this OPEC report on financialtimes.com very informative…
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca2b5254-ab6a-11dd-b9e1-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1
You are on the right track!
“There is as much wind power potential (900,000 megawatts) off our coasts as the current capacity of all power plants in the United States combined, according to a new report entitled, A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United States, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and General Electric. http://www.capecodtoday.com/news246.htm01/01/09”
and the same can be said for the radiant resource rich South Western U.S.A. for solar power!