UCO first to receive Vanguard award

The Edmond Sun

EDMOND November 16, 2007 03:46 pm

— The University of Central Oklahoma has been recognized as the first Oklahoma institution to receive the newly established Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Inc. “Vanguard Award.”
As a part of the statewide Environmental Excellence Competition, the award will be presented to UCO during the 17th annual KOB Awards Recognition Banquet at the Oklahoma City Marriott Hotel, Nov. 19.
The KOB “Vanguard Award” is given to the individual, business or organization that embraces cutting edge environmental technologies and concepts in support of a sustainable planet.
UCO has received the award for becoming 100 percent Green Energy dependent through wind power, producing and using bio-diesel fuel, making energy efficient improvements to its physical plant, moving to paperless processes, and comprehensive campus-wide recycling.
KOB commended UCO for becoming overall environmental stewards and being exemplary mentors to its student body by working to carry environmentally friendly ethics into the future.
UCO’s green power purchase is one of the largest by a college or university in the nation, utilizing more than 26k megawatt-hours of green power annually.
UCO became the first Green Power representative in Oklahoma on May 6, 2006.
In addition to its green power purchase, UCO also has onsite bio-diesel production, works with a performance contractor to increase energy performance and employs ENERGYSTAR-labeled products.
UCO’s Biofuel Program was recently honored with the 2007 National Association of Fleet Administrators award for “Quality Fleet Management Idea,” recognized for the bio-diesel production process that turns UCO’s used cooking oil into an eco-friendly fuel for campus vehicles.