June 19, 2009

CSU Monterey Bay has received an award for its work in energy conservation. The university was honored by the Monterey County Business Council for implementing a “green” project that resulted in significant energy savings through a public/private partnership. CSU Monterey Bay partnered with the state's public universities and a group of utility companies represented locally by Pacific Gas & Electric. The award was presented on June 18 at the business council’s Economic Development Forum at the Hyatt Regency Monterey. Led by Mike Lerch, the university’s manager of energy and utilities, the project involved retrofitting 275 outdoor lighting fixtures with a newly available compact fluorescent lamp. The retrofit reduced the energy consumption of the fixtures by 78 percent. The savings moved the campus closer to achieving its Presidents Climate Commitment goal of climate neutrality by eliminating 75 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. This is the second year the university has been honored by the business council for its work in reducing energy consumption.