DSU Joins Initiative To Reduce Energy Consumption - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

DOVER, Del. - Delaware State University welcomed Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to the campus Monday to highlight a new initiative. Delaware State University has decided to takethe Better Building Challenge, a new initiative that will help reduce the University's energy consumption.

"It saves the University money, it saves the University energy, and it creates jobs," says Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

University officials say that the initiative will reduce energy consumption on campus by 25 percent by the year 2013, and 30 percent by 2015. There will also be upgrades to 26 buildings on campus, including roof replacements.  

"Forty percent of the entire energy budget in the United states is spent on buildings," says the Secretary.

Senator Tom Carper says, "This is an investment that is going to save a lot of money. They're going to reduce their energy consumption by 25 percent in the years to come."

"It allows Delaware State University, which receives a lot of its funding from the state of Delaware, to spend those dollars more wisely to spend more dollars on educating students and on recruiting and retaining faculty," says Senator Chris Coons.

The better building challenge could potentially save Delaware State University five million dollars over the next 20 years. Officials say that could ultimately stabilize the rising costs of tuition.

Delaware State University is one of nine colleges to be a part of the "Better Building Challenge." It is the first and only Historically Black University to launch the program.