St. Olaf To Run On Renewable Wind Energy

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – St. Olaf College will soon run completely on renewable wind energy.

According to Xcel Energy, the Northfield college is pairing up with the energy company to be a part of their Windsource program. All 56 buildings on campus will be powered by the renewable energy source.

"We're thrilled to help St. Olaf College achieve their renewable energy goals and share their commitment to protecting the environment," Chris Clark, president of Xcel Energy-Minnesota, said in a recent press release. "We're proud to partner with a school educating students about the benefits of renewables as we expand wind and solar energy options for customers."

St. Olaf uses roughly 14,000 megawatt hours to power its campus. By using Windsource, the college will avoid 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

Windource currently has more than 45,000 residential and commercial customers in Minnesota. By running all of its academic, administrative, housing and sports buildings on Windsource, St. Olaf will become the largest customer in the state.

According to Xcel Energy, St. Olaf will also be supporting community solar gardens, as well as renovating buildings to meet top environmental standards.