UMC is Energy Challenge Campus

A new project brings Otter Tail Power Company and the University of Minnesota- Crookston together in an effort to reduce electric energy consumption on the campus.

The project was formally announced Friday, Oct. 2, at the dedication of Evergreen Hall, a new residence hall.

UMC will work with Otter Tail to reduce electric energy consumption on campus by as much as 15 percent. Sustainability is a priority for UMC, and students helped lead the effort for Evergreen Hall to become the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified residence facility in the University of Minnesota system. The building's construction focused on minimizing environmental impact and saving energy throughout its development and construction.

Students, staff, and faculty on the Crookston campus will join Otter Tail employees to research and analyze current electric energy consumption and develop strategies for reducing their use in 2009; most implementation will occur in 2010. The challenge is a pilot project that is part of Otter Tail's Minnesota Conservation Improvement Program, approved by the Minnesota Office of Energy Security in November 2008.

Together, Otter Tail Power Company and the U of M, Crookston expect to nurture and develop energy-efficiency habits to help everyone on campus save money on their energy bills and model those habits to the Crookston community, other campuses and the country.

Otter Tail Power Company, a subsidiary of Otter Tail Corporation, is headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minn. It provides electricity and energy services to more than a quarter of a million people in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.