Take Action:TN Board About to Veto Student Green Power Initiatives

Students at two TN schools (Middle TN State University-MTSU and TN Technological University-TTU) both overwhelmingly (by more than 88%) voted to raise their fees $8/semester to support local green power and energy efficiency on their campuses. However, the governing board for their school system, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), has decided to ignore the will of the students to support locally generated green power because of “unresolved rate issues” with the local utility that offers the Green Power Switch program–this green power program is one of the best in the Southeast supporting the only Southeastern commercial wind farm and is not related at all to the “unresolved rate issues.” TBR is proposing to just do energy efficiency for $4/student/semester and eliminate green power from the fee and TBR votes on this proposal in just ONE week on June 30.

TAKE ACTION & TELL TBR TO STOP IGNORING THE WILL OF THE STUDENTS AND TO SUPPORT SOUTHEAST GREEN POWER!

About Liz

While at the University of North Carolina, Liz led one of the first successful campus renewable energy campaigns in the southeast and won the Morris K. Udall scholarship in both 2002 & 2003. She organized the first Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference April 2-4, 2004, to engage other Southern schools beyond UNC in energy and climate work. In the summer of 2004 she became a co-founding member of Energy Action Coalition, which she has been actively involved with since then. She co-chaired the Energy Action Coalition Steering Committee for 2 years and is Executive Director of the Southern Energy Network, which works with students in the Southeast on clean energy and climate initiatives as part of Energy Action Coalition's Campus Climate Challenge. In late fall 2005, she attended the UN Climate Negotiations in Montreal and helped start www.itsgettinghotinhere.org . In 2008, she joined the board of the Highlander Research and Education Center (www.highlandercenter.org).

5 Responses to “Take Action:TN Board About to Veto Student Green Power Initiatives”

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1 Arthur Coulston Jun 22nd, 2006 at 6:32 am

This is fucked. Students want renewable energy and if they are willing to pay for it, no one should stop them. I don’t even thing they should have to pay for it, but if they are willing to.
2 May Boeve Jun 22nd, 2006 at 2:46 pm

I just called in to Chancellor Manning’s office, and got this response emailed to me shortly afterwards:

“After careful review of the MTSU and TTU students’ request for an $8 per student per semester fee for campus environmental projects and green power, TBR staff are recommending board approval of the fee for one year. During the coming year, it is recommended that a broad-based task force from the system, which will include faculty and student representation, study the issue of green power switch, energy management, and other environmental issues related to campus facilities. Continuation of the fee in future years will be evaluated and based on the findings and recommendations of the task force.”

Charles W. Manning

Chancellor

Tennessee Board of Regents
3 Liz Veazey Jun 22nd, 2006 at 5:31 pm

Thanks to everyone who called! The chancellor has agreed to propose the original $8 for lcoal green power and energy efficiency.
Go Green Power!
4 Jorgotymngync Jan 21st, 2009 at 7:57 pm

Nothing seems to be easier than seeing someone whom you can help but not helping.
I suggest we start giving it a try. Give love to the ones that need it.
God will appreciate it.