A recent story from Midwest Energy News reported that various universities throughout the region are increasingly adopting renewable energy resources on their campuses.  This model is a natural fit for universities as they tend to use massive amounts of energy.  They also tend to have student bodies who are concerned about the long-term impact on the environment from energy derived of fossil fuels.  Our case in point is the first commercial scale dry fermentation anaerobic biodigester at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, which has been producing electricity and heat from food and yard waste since October 2011. 

The article emphasizes the myriad of benefits of renewable energy on campus – namely, “to promote sustainability, reduce carbon footprints, dovetail with research programs, and ideally result in long-term cost savings.”  They point out various university installations, such as Ball State University’s geothermal system, wind turbines at University of Minnesota-Morris, and solar arrays at University of Toledo.  It is encouraging to see so many higher education institutions setting an example by producing clean renewable energy and creating a brighter future for the next generations.