BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University has been declared the winner of the Minnesota Campus Energy Challenge, a competition amongst seven higher education institutions in the state to see which could see the largest reduction of energy consumption during the month of February.

Bemidji State competed against Carleton College; the College of St. Benedict; Gustavus Adolphus College; Macalester College; St. John’s University; St. Olaf College; and Winona State University to see which school could reduce its total February 2009 energy usage the most, as compared to usage during February of 2008.

Bemidji State captured the overall title with a 12 percent reduction in overall energy use, followed by Winona State at a seven percent reduction. Gustavus Adolphus and St. Benedict tied for third with a six-percent total reduction.

Reductions in heating and electricity were also tracked as part of the contest. Bemidji State won the heating reduction category with an 11 percent reduction, while Gustavus Adolphus and Winona State tied for second with an eight-percent reduction. St. John’s was fourth, having used the same amount of energy for heating as it did in 2008.

St. Benedict won the electricity-reduction competition with a 16 percent reduction, while Bemidji State was second with a 13 percent reduction. St. Olaf was third with a seven percent reduction; Winona State was fourth with a six percent reduction.

The challenge was sponsored by Transcampus Energy Action Movement Minnesota, a network of environmental youth organizations in Minnesota with hundreds of engaged students across the state.

For more information, please contact Erika Bailey-Johnson, Bemidji State’s sustainability coordinator, at (218) 755-2560,.

On the Web:
• Transcampus Energy Action Movement Minnesota: http://www.teammn.org