Westminster receives award for wind power purchase

SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster was recently honored as a Blue Sky Visionary Partner by Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky for a major new wind power purchase. The wind energy purchase by the college will now meet 11 percent of the campus’ electrical needs. Westminster’s purchase will have the same environmental benefit as planting over 176,000 trees or not driving over 1.9 million miles annually.

Westminster’s participation in the Blue Sky Program stemmed from a proposal made by students in an environmental economics class to college administrators last spring. As part of a class project, students worked with a local non-profit organization, Utah Clean Energy, on a cost-benefit analysis of the Blue Sky Program. Based on their findings, students recommended that the college purchase wind power as a means of demonstrating dedication to environmental sustainability.