October 31, 2008

Budgeting for Climate Neutrality, Colleges Consider Energy Credits

By SCOTT CARLSON

The price of environmental sin is going up at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Students and administrators there are now trying to figure out whether they will pay for it.

Last year, with some fanfare, the college announced that it would buy 100-percent green energy, mainly wind power. It would do so through renewable-energy credits, or REC's, a per-megawatt premium on energy that comes from renewable and carbon-neutral sources like solar, wind, and biomass.

Here's the problem:

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