Cleveland State University has been honored with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partner designation. CSU is being recognized due to its efforts to enhance green energy use on campus. This includes utilizing nearly 18 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is 30 percent of its overall electricity use. The university is purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) from MidAmerican Energy.

“We are very proud to be recognized by the EPA,” said Joseph Han, CSU’s Associate Vice President for Administration and Operations. “Using green power helps the university become more sustainable, while also sending a message to others across the U.S. that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing climate risk.”

Green power is zero-emissions electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact hydro. Using green power helps accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and helps users reduce their carbon footprints.

“EPA applauds Cleveland State University for its commitment to using green power and for taking a leadership position on the environment,” said James Critchfield, Manager of the Green Power Partnership. “CSU is helping to reduce carbon pollution and provides an excellent example for other higher educational institutions to invest in environmental progress.”

CSU is committed to enhancing sustainability in all areas of operations. On top of its efforts to increase green power use, the university has received LEED certification for four newly constructed buildings on campus, provides RTA bus passes to all students to increase public transit use and is currently conducting an LED-lighting upgrade project designed to reduce energy use across the university.

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