About
What is the Student Green Energy Fund?
The Student Green Energy Fund is a Florida student-led initiative (started in 2007) with the goal to give students at individual universities the right to vote on and approve a minimal fee to generate large sums of money for campuses to spend on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The Student Green Energy Fund would allow for campuses to reduce their greenhouse gas footprint, energy bills, and leave a healthier, more energy efficient campus for future students.
In order for the minimal fee to take effect the proposition must be approved by the Board of Governors, and then by students and the Boards of Trustees on individual campuses.
Students throughout Florida’s public university system have organized around this campaign to power our campuses with clean and affordable energy. Youth leaders at UF, UCF, FSU, FAMU, FIU, FGCU, USF and UWF join a strategy call each Monday to make decisions. We have worked with our campus officials, our legislators and our fellow students, and we have shown our communities that Florida students want a Student Green Energy Fund.
Students want to invest money to save money. By contributing to a fund for campus energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements, we become part of the exciting transition toward clean, efficient and affordable energy for Florida colleges and universities.
The cost of the Student Green Energy Fund can vary. It depends on what price the students and Boards of Trustees at each university vote and agree on. The language in the spring 2009 legislation states the fund would cost individual students no more than $1.00 per credit hour and no less than $.25 per credit hour. This fee would not be covered by the Bright Futures scholarship program.
If approved by the Board of Governnors and then on individual campuses, a committee will be created to determine how the Student Green Energy Funds will be spent at each campus. There will be no more than twelve members; half of which are students appointed by the Student Government President; the other half would be faculty and staff appointed by the University President.
If passed, the Student Green Energy Fund will be available to those who can show that their initiatives and projects fall within the written language of the bill passed through the state legislature. Applications will be reviewed by the committees.
If for some reason during a fiscal year the money isn’t spent entirely, it will return to the fund for the next year.
Sample project ideas for the funds:
Campus energy efficiency projects:
- Computerized heating and cooling systems
- Energy Star appliances
- More efficient lighting
- Energy monitoring systems
- Weatherization of old buildings
Renewable energy projects:
- Wind
- Solar
- Geothermal
- Solar heating
Passing the Student Green Energy Fund will allow universities to save money for academics through energy efficiency and renewable energy investments, while creating green jobs on campuses and within local communities.
Learn More
In the Media: http://studentgreenenergyfund.org/media/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Student-Green-Energy-Fund/255737516681
Student Videos: http://studentgreenenergyfund.org/student-videos/
