Residential halls at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) are on the front line of the school’s quest to be completely dependent on renewable energy resources by 2012, in keeping with a 2007 challenge Governor Jim Doyle issued to the university.

With an energy mix that is 53 percent green, UWSP’s residence halls have become a model of energy efficiency for the rest of the UW System, according to Mike Zsido, assistant director of building services and a member of UWSP’s Sustainability Task Force.

"We’re proud of our residence hall staff and students for keeping the campus on task to meet ambitious campuswide sustainability goals, said Zsido. "But we won’t rest on our laurels until all of UWSP Residential Living is totally powered by green energy."

According to Gary Oudenhoven of Wisconsin Public Service, UWSP’s administration, the Student Government Association, and Residential Living have been purchasing WPS NatureWise green energy, a voluntary energy program offering green renewable electricity from a mixture of local wind turbines or generators that use waste biogas from landfills and farms. It was just a year ago that UWSP Chancellor Linda Bunnell was among the first American college and university presidents to commit to sharply reduce and eventually eliminate all of their campus’ global warming emissions.

"UWSP has a history of leading on conservation issues and our commitment to be part of an environmental and energy solution for Wisconsin is shared campuswide," said Bunnell. "In many ways our students have led this charge for many years and as long as I am chancellor this campus will remain steadfast toward eliminating all campus-related global warming emissions."

UWSP is the largest purchaser of renewable energy of all the UW System campuses. UWSP continues to work with WPS’ NatureWise energy program increasing the campus’ overall renewable electrical energy mix to almost 20 percent of the total energy use by the campus.

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