100% Wind Power Coming to University of Oklahoma Sooner Rather Than Later
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.11.08
photo: Daniel Jeffries
A month ago the Oregon Institute of Technology announced that it was going to be the world’s first university to be powered entirely by geothermal energy. Now the University of Oklahoma has picked up the use-only-renewable-energy gauntlet and has announced that the school’s main campus will be entirely powered by wind by 2013.
In publicizing the plan, the school’s president said:
It is our patriotic duty as Americans to help our country achieve energy independence and to be sound stewards of the environment. All of us as Americans should unite in this effort.
New Wind Farm Will Supply All the Electricity
Currently about 10% of the school’s power comes from wind, but in the future all of the school’s electricity will be purchased from the new “OU Spirit Wind Farm”, to be built by Oklahoma Gas and Electric near Woodward. Provided all the permitting goes as planned this new farm, as well as additional transmission capacity, will come online by 2010.
CNG Vehicle Use to Increase
In addition to reducing its carbon footprint through transitioning to wind power, the school will also increase its use of compressed natural gas vehicles, and will open a refueling station for them on campus.
via :: Yahoo News/AP and :: University of Oklahoma
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My school recently converted all the campus shuttles, and a number of other vehicles, to biodiesel. Most of the biodiesel is produced from waste from the dining hall. The rest of the dining hall waste is composted.
It is good to see that a lot of universities are actively trying to become more sustainable. I guess that is what happens when you know that a) you make budgets with a very long time frame and b) students and visitors will be strongly impacted by the things they see you do.