Official News Release:
Texas A&M University System and
Stephen F. Austin University Purchase Record Amount of Renewable Energy
Contact: Tina Evans or Amy Halbert
(979) 458-6023
SysComm@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION—
The Texas A&M University System has signed
a contract with TXU Energy to purchase a record amount of renewable energy—wind
energy—over the next four years. More than 176 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of
energy supplied by Texas wind farms are to be used to supply part of the energy
needs at eight A&M System universities and four A&M System agencies, plus
Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU), which joined the A&M System in the
power purchase agreement.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partnership
Program, this will be the largest purchase of renewable energy made by any
institution of higher learning in Texas and seventh in the nation.
“This quantity of renewable energy represents 15% of the energy purchased in the
contract. It places the A&M System and Stephen F. Austin State University at the
forefront of fostering renewable energy in the state of Texas, and sends a
message that we intend to help lead the way nationally,” according to A&M System
Chancellor Michael McKinney.
“Our renewable energy purchase is very nearly equivalent to the total usage of
any one of our four largest universities in the contract, at A&M-Commerce,
A&M-Corpus Christi, A&M-Kingsville or Tarleton State University. It also
complements the Sustainable Campus Initiative at Texas A&M International
University in Laredo,” stated B. J. Crain, A&M System associate vice chancellor
of budgets and accounting.
The Texas A&M University System universities and agencies that took part in the
contract include:
• Texas A&M University-Commerce
• Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
• Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Texas A&M University-Kingsville
• Texas A&M International University in Laredo
• Tarleton State University in Stephenville
• Texas A&M Health Science Center’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology in
Houston
• Prairie View A&M University’s Nursing School in Houston
• Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (TAES), which is widespread across the
state
• Texas Cooperative Extension (TCE), which is widespread across the state
• Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) sites in Galveston and Mesquite
• Texas Forest Service, which is widespread across the state
Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, a non-A&M System university,
was a vital participant in the contract, representing about 30% of the total
aggregated electrical load.
The Energy Systems Laboratory, a division of the Texas Engineering Experiment
Station (TEES) within the A&M System, aggregated all the electrical loads of
more than 240 separate electric meters, issued the Request for Proposal, and
evaluated the responses on behalf of the A&M System and SFASU.
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