Chevron Energy Solutions recognized Anschutz Library for its efforts in energy conservation and sustainability last week.

Anschutz Library received the special recognition for its efforts in energy conservation, specifically for a student-led initiative to power the library exclusively by wind energy this year. The initiative used student funds to purchase wind power credits from Westar Energy to offset the fossil fuels that would otherwise power the building.

Robert Szabo, Anschutz Library’s building operations manager, and Amalia Monroe, sustainability ambassador for KU Libraries, accepted the plaque Friday morning.

Rebecca Smith, director of communications and advancement for KU Libraries, said that the award was an important recognition for the library’s energy commitments.

“We take conservation and sustainability very seriously,” Smith said. “Anschutz serves a lot of people and this is a great stride for the University as a whole.”

Ryan Callihan, president of KU Environs, said that the plaque recognized a major accomplishment for KU students. He said the award capped a long and successful initiative headed by the Student Environmental Advisory Board to power a major campus building completely with clean energy this year.

“It’s really cool how it all played out,” Callihan said. “Anschutz is a campus symbol. It’s a place where lots of students can recognize that they are having a positive environmental impact.”

Anschutz Library is part of the KU-Chevron agreement for energy conservation on campus. The partnership is aimed at finding ways to reduce both energy bills and the carbon footprint of campus.

Rod Ideker, KU energy resource manager for Chevron Energy Solutions, said that Chevron recognized significant efforts to increase conservation and sustainability. Ideker said he was impressed by the wind power initiative at Anschutz.

“It is a tremendous thing that the library has done,” Ideker said. “We’re happy to recognize this accomplishment. We hope there are lots more of these initiatives to come.”

Callihan said budget cuts had made it unlikely for the Student Environmental Advisory Board to implement similar large-scale conservation initiatives this year. Instead, Callihan said he hoped the initiative would inspire others to aid the University’s energy conservation movement.

“I hope this will really get the ball rolling,” Callihan said. “Anschutz is now setting the bar on campus for sustainability.”

The University said in a press release that the wind energy purchased by the initiative would eliminate the burning of more than 3 million pounds of coal during the course of the current school year.

— — Edited by Jonathan Hermes