1. 6/17/16
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Universityof Tennessee RewardedforGreenEfforts
Thisspring,the Universityof Tennessee’sOffice of Sustainabilityreceivedacknowledgementfor its
effortstomake orange greenwhenitwas recognizedasaSTARS SilverInstitutionandaTop Green
PowerUser.
Withover763 participants,the Associationforthe Advancementof SustainabilityinHigherEducation
(AASHE) isone of the largestsustainabilitysupportersinthe world. The Sustainability,Tracking,
Assessment&RatingSystem(STARS) isa self-reportedmeasure of greenperformanceinacademics,
studentandcommunityengagement,operations,andadministration.
On March 2, the Universityof Tennessee’sOffice of SustainabilitywasrecognizedasaSTARS Silver
Institution. The universitywasrecognizedforits dedicationtocampus-wide sustainabilityand
innovative greenprograms,includingZeroWaste Game Days,the FoodRecoveryNetwork,its
VOLstarterprogram,and the GreenRevolvingFund. The university’sgoal istoachieve carbonneutrality
by 2061 usingthese programs,andto engage students,faculty,andstaff inthe process.
In additiontothe STARSSilverrating,on April 25, UT ledthe SoutheasternConference inthe
Environmental ProtectionAgency’sGreenPowerPartnerChallenge. Itwasrecognizedforhavingthe
largestgreenpowerpurchase inthe SEC,using91,372,000 kWh of sustainable energyduringthe 2015-
2016 academicyear.
The EPA alsolistedUT as one of the top10 greenpoweruniversitiesinthe UnitedStates,claimingover
36% of its powerasgreenviarenewable energycredits. Currently,UTis poisedtoclaim 100% green
powerthisfall,makingUT the numberone greenpoweruniversityinthe nation.
“Thisis an affirmationthatthe effortsourstudents,faculty,andstaff take towardbeingamore
sustainable campusisnotonlyworking,butleadingthe regionandSECinmany regards,”said
SustainabilityManagerPrestonJacobsen.
UT’s dedicationtosustainabilityisalong-standingtradition. The institutionreceivedSTARSrecognition
for the firsttime in2011, andhas beenrankedasa Top GreenPowerUsereveryyearsince 2014.

2. “I wouldlike tothankeveryone forbringingUT tothe forefrontof sustainability,notonlyinthe SECbut
the regionas a whole,”Jacobsensaid.
For more informationaboutAASHE,visit http://www.aashe.org/.Formore informationaboutthe EPA,
visithttps://www.epa.gov/greenpower.
AASHE’sreportispubliclyavailable atthe STARSwebsite:
https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/university-of-tennessee-at-knoxville-tn/report/2016-03-02/
The EPA’sTop GreenPowerUser reportispubliclyavailable atthiswebsite:
https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/college-and-university-challenge