EPA ranks Penn near top of 'green' power buyers

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has listed Penn as among the top purchasers of renewable energy in the country.

EPA officials said in a recent report that Penn is a leader in the Green Power Partnership, a group of more than 600 organizations and institutions, for its dedication to wind energy.

The rankings are based on how much energy used by each institution comes from alternate, environmentally friendly sources. The University ranks 18th on the list.

Four years ago, Penn initiated a program to conserve resources by buying wind energy that is generated in Harrisburg, Pa. Initially promising to purchase 5 percent of its energy from the source, the University increased that to 10 percent to help the farms expand.

With this addition, Penn became the single largest purchaser of green power among colleges and universities, according to Senior Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Services Omar Blaik.

Buying green power "is an endorsement of Penn's awareness of the importance of diversifying our energy base," professor of Environmental Studies Robert Giegengack said.

According to EPA representative Blaine Collison, a 1989 Penn graduate, another motivating factor for the purchase of green power is economic stability. Oil prices have increased significantly recently, and green power will not likely increase.

Other purchasers in the top 25 list include the U.S. Air Force, Johnson and Johnson, the city of San Diego and Staples.

Collison said that the list is released quarterly because "it is important to understand where the market is. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of companies and institutions purchasing green power."

The increase in the purchase of more environmentally-friendly energy sources can be attributed to increased awareness of climate change and energy prices, according to Collison.

In addition to buying 10 percent of its energy from wind farms, Penn is currently performing an audit on its energy consumption on campus. When the audit is finished at the end of the year, a number of pilot plans to improve conservation on campus will be launched, Blaik said.

Officials hope to assess utilities, recycling, green space, car pollution, how trees absorb storm water and workers' use of public transportation.

According to Blaik, the initial audit has shown that Penn "is by far the lowest in emissions compared to all of our peers." Although it is highly efficient in terms of emissions, Blaik says recycling, among other things, as something that needs improving.

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