{"id":3389,"date":"2013-09-27T11:21:12","date_gmt":"2013-09-27T15:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?p=3389"},"modified":"2023-11-09T11:59:41","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T15:59:41","slug":"kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Kalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Seven<\/a>
Consumers Energy (CE) named Kalamazoo College as its 2013 Green Generation Customer of the Year. From left are Binney Girdler, K associate professor of biology; Emma Dolce \u203214, sustainability intern; Katie Ray \u203214, sustainability intern; Paul Manstrom, K associate vice president for facilities management; Lisa Gustafson, CE business customer care director; Thomas Shirilla, CE business account manager; and Kevin Linders, CE senior corporate account manager.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

[Sept. 27, 2013] Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and its voluntary participation in this renewable energy program.<\/p>\n

The 1,450-student liberal arts and sciences college located midway between Detroit and Chicago purchases 720,000 kilowatt-hours (KWh) of renewable energy annually from Consumers Energy, enough to supply 8 percent of the College\u2019s total electrical usage.<\/p>\n

\u201cSustainability is a strong focus at Kalamazoo College. Receiving this award lets us know that others recognize our commitment to the environment and that gives us reason to be proud,\u201d said Paul Manstrom, K\u2019s associate vice president for facilities management. \u201cWe began purchasing electricity through the Green Generation program as part of a project to renovate the Hicks Student Center on campus to standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, earning the first LEED Silver certification in southwest Michigan in the process. We\u2019ve found that participating in Green Generation has been a great fit for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalamazoo College has been a Green Generation participant since January 2009. It\u2019s one of the Top 10 participants in the Green Generation program, having purchased more than 2.5 million KWh of renewable energy since enrolling. The recently-completed Athletics Field House and the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (currently under construction) will be the two \u201cgreenest\u201d buildings on campus, furthering the college\u2019s sustainability credentials.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s with great enthusiasm we single out the achievements of Kalamazoo College in supporting renewable energy efforts in Michigan,\u201d said Thomas Shirilla, Consumers Energy\u2019s program manager for Green Generation. \u201cK\u2019s leadership in this voluntary program is commendable. It demonstrates commitment to and optimism for Michigan\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Past Green Generation customer of the year recipients are Irwin Seating, Grand Rapids Community College, University of Michigan \u2013 Flint, Dow Corning, City of Grand Rapids, and Wolverine Worldwide.<\/p>\n

Consumers Energy\u2019s Green Generation program has nearly 17,000 customer-participants and was the first voluntary renewable energy program in Michigan. It was launched in 2005 following authorization by the Michigan Public Service Commission. More than 100 organizations are enrolled in the Green Generation program.<\/p>\n

Green Generation has led to the development of several renewable energy projects in the state, including the Michigan Wind 1 park in the Thumb region. Other Green Generation projects include biomass facilities located near Birch Run, Lennon, and Marshall. Consumers Energy also purchases electricity for the program generated by wind turbines near Mackinaw City. All of the projects are located in Michigan\u2019s Lower Peninsula and all sources are Green-e certified as renewable.<\/p>\n

The Green Generation program offers Consumers Energy\u2019s electric customers an opportunity to support renewable energy by enrolling in the voluntary program and paying a small premium. Program information is available at .<\/p>\n

Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu<\/a>) was founded in 1833 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is the oldest college in Michigan and among the 100 oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States. K is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college with nearly 1,450 students and the creator of the K-Plan<\/em> that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, experiential learning, leadership development, and international and intercultural engagement. Kalamazoo College does more in four years so students can do more in a lifetime.<\/p>\n

Consumers Energy, Michigan\u2019s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million of the state\u2019s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.<\/p>\n

View and download the above photo: http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/consumersenergy\/9953170725\/<\/a><\/p>\n

For more information regarding Consumers Energy, visit us at: <\/em>www.consumersenergy.com<\/a><\/em><\/strong> or join us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com\/consumersenergymichigan<\/a>\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Consumers Energy Media Contacts: Roger Morgenstern, 517\/530-4364 or Terry DeDoes, 517\/374-2159<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Sept. 27, 2013] Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and its voluntary participation in this renewable energy program. The 1,450-student liberal arts and sciences college located midway between Detroit and Chicago purchases 720,000 kilowatt-hours (KWh) of renewable energy annually from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":3391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[235,5],"tags":[30,52,55,38,113],"post_formats":[],"class_list":["post-3389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-institutional-announcements","category-news-releases","tag-awards","tag-biology","tag-green","tag-students","tag-sustainability"],"yoast_head":"\r\nKalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy - News and Events<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy - News and Events\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News and Events\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KalamazooCollege\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-09-27T15:21:12+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-09T15:59:41+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"846\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"663\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andy Brown\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@kcollege\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@kcollege\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andy Brown\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/\",\"name\":\"Kalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy - News and Events\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-09-27T15:21:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-09T15:59:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8b54e37c984840c05e9ec797b6616166\"},\"description\":\"Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg\",\"width\":\"846\",\"height\":\"663\",\"caption\":\"Consumers Energy (CE) named Kalamazoo College as its 2013 Green Generation Customer of the Year. From left are Binney Girdler, K associate professor of biology; Katie Ray ''14, sustainability intern; Emma Dolce 14, sustainability intern; Paul Manstrom, K associate vice president for facilities management; Lisa Gustafson, CE business customer care director; Thomas Shirilla, CE business account manager; and Kevin Linders, CE senior corporate account manager.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Kalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"News and Events\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8b54e37c984840c05e9ec797b6616166\",\"name\":\"Andy Brown\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a85189587f7af74a5efd2cb4233df125?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a85189587f7af74a5efd2cb4233df125?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Andy Brown\"},\"description\":\"As the Director of News and Social Media, Andy shares the stories that distinguish Kalamazoo College through social media, the Web and the news media. Contact him at abrown@kzoo.edu.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/contact-us\/\"]}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Kalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy - News and Events","description":"Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Kalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy - News and Events","og_description":"Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and","og_url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/","og_site_name":"News and Events","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KalamazooCollege","article_published_time":"2013-09-27T15:21:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-11-09T15:59:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":"846","height":"663","url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Andy Brown","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@kcollege","twitter_site":"@kcollege","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Andy Brown","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/","url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/","name":"Kalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy - News and Events","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg","datePublished":"2013-09-27T15:21:12+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-09T15:59:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8b54e37c984840c05e9ec797b6616166"},"description":"Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg","width":"846","height":"663","caption":"Consumers Energy (CE) named Kalamazoo College as its 2013 Green Generation Customer of the Year. From left are Binney Girdler, K associate professor of biology; Katie Ray ''14, sustainability intern; Emma Dolce 14, sustainability intern; Paul Manstrom, K associate vice president for facilities management; Lisa Gustafson, CE business customer care director; Thomas Shirilla, CE business account manager; and Kevin Linders, CE senior corporate account manager."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Kalamazoo College Recognized as Green Generation Customer of the Year by Consumers Energy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/","name":"News and Events","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8b54e37c984840c05e9ec797b6616166","name":"Andy Brown","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a85189587f7af74a5efd2cb4233df125?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a85189587f7af74a5efd2cb4233df125?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Andy Brown"},"description":"As the Director of News and Social Media, Andy shares the stories that distinguish Kalamazoo College through social media, the Web and the news media. Contact him at abrown@kzoo.edu.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/contact-us\/"]}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Andy Brown","author_link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/author\/abrown\/"},"guten_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",846,663,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11-300x235.jpg",300,235,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg","846","663",false],"large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",600,470,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",846,663,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",846,663,false],"ab-block-post-grid-landscape":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",510,400,false],"ab-block-post-grid-square":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",600,470,false],"pl-blogpost-landscape":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",510,400,false],"pl-blogpost-square":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",600,470,false],"guten_post_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",846,663,false],"guten_post_layout_portrait_large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",846,663,false],"guten_post_layout_square_large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",846,663,false],"guten_post_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",510,400,false],"guten_post_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",600,470,false],"guten_post_layout_square":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",600,470,false],"campus-posts-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",300,235,false],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",300,235,false],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",400,313,false],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg",600,470,false]},"category_info":"<a aria-label=\"archive of category Institutional Announcements\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/category\/institutional-announcements\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Institutional Announcements<\/a><a aria-label=\"archive of category News Releases\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/category\/news-releases\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News Releases<\/a>","tags_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/awards\/\" rel=\"tag\">awards<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/biology\/\" rel=\"tag\">biology<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/green\/\" rel=\"tag\">green<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/students\/\" rel=\"tag\">students<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/sustainability\/\" rel=\"tag\">sustainability<\/a>","social_share_info":"<a data-share=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/\" class=\"pl-facebook-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-facebook-f\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/\" class=\"pl-twiiter-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-recognized-as-green-generation-customer-of-the-year-by-consumers-energy\/\" class=\"pl-linkedin-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin-in\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a>","wordExcerpt_info":"<figure id=\"attachment_3391\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3391\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3391 size-medium\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/09\/onsumers-Energy-2013-Green-Energy-Award-2013-11-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"Seven K representatives accept Green Generation Customer of the Year award\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3391\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Consumers Energy (CE) named Kalamazoo College as its 2013 Green Generation Customer of the Year. From left are Binney Girdler, K associate professor of biology; Emma Dolce \u203214, sustainability intern; Katie Ray \u203214, sustainability intern; Paul Manstrom, K associate vice president for facilities management; Lisa Gustafson, CE business customer care director; Thomas Shirilla, CE business account manager; and Kevin Linders, CE senior corporate account manager.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>[Sept. 27, 2013] Consumers Energy has named Kalamazoo College its \u201cGreen Generation Customer of the Year\u201d in recognition of the College\u2019s overall sustainability effort and its voluntary participation in this renewable energy program.<\/p>\n<p>The 1,450-student liberal arts and sciences college located midway between Detroit and Chicago purchases 720,000 kilowatt-hours (KWh) of renewable energy annually from Consumers Energy, enough to supply 8 percent of the College\u2019s total electrical usage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSustainability is a strong focus at Kalamazoo College. Receiving this award lets us know that others recognize our commitment to the environment and that gives us reason to be proud,\u201d said Paul Manstrom, K\u2019s associate vice president for facilities management. \u201cWe began purchasing electricity through the Green Generation program as part of a project to renovate the Hicks Student Center on campus to standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, earning the first LEED Silver certification in southwest Michigan in the process. We\u2019ve found that participating in Green Generation has been a great fit for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kalamazoo College has been a Green Generation participant since January 2009. It\u2019s one of the Top 10 participants in the Green Generation program, having purchased more than 2.5 million KWh of renewable energy since enrolling. The recently-completed Athletics Field House and the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (currently under construction) will be the two \u201cgreenest\u201d buildings on campus, furthering the college\u2019s sustainability credentials.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s with great enthusiasm we single out the achievements of Kalamazoo College in supporting renewable energy efforts in Michigan,\u201d said Thomas Shirilla, Consumers Energy\u2019s program manager for Green Generation. \u201cK\u2019s leadership in this voluntary program is commendable. It demonstrates commitment to and optimism for Michigan\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Past Green Generation customer of the year recipients are Irwin Seating, Grand Rapids Community College, University of Michigan \u2013 Flint, Dow Corning, City of Grand Rapids, and Wolverine Worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Consumers Energy\u2019s Green Generation program has nearly 17,000 customer-participants and was the first voluntary renewable energy program in Michigan. It was launched in 2005 following authorization by the Michigan Public Service Commission. More than 100 organizations are enrolled in the Green Generation program.<\/p>\n<p>Green Generation has led to the development of several renewable energy projects in the state, including the Michigan Wind 1 park in the Thumb region. Other Green Generation projects include biomass facilities located near Birch Run, Lennon, and Marshall. Consumers Energy also purchases electricity for the program generated by wind turbines near Mackinaw City. All of the projects are located in Michigan\u2019s Lower Peninsula and all sources are Green-e certified as renewable.<\/p>\n<p>The Green Generation program offers Consumers Energy\u2019s electric customers an opportunity to support renewable energy by enrolling in the voluntary program and paying a small premium. Program information is available at .<\/p>\n<p>Kalamazoo College (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\">www.kzoo.edu<\/a>) was founded in 1833 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is the oldest college in Michigan and among the 100 oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States. K is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college with nearly 1,450 students and the creator of the <em>K-Plan<\/em> that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, experiential learning, leadership development, and international and intercultural engagement. Kalamazoo College does more in four years so students can do more in a lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>Consumers Energy, Michigan\u2019s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million of the state\u2019s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.<\/p>\n<p>View and download the above photo: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/consumersenergy\/9953170725\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/consumersenergy\/9953170725\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>For more information regarding Consumers Energy, visit us at: <\/em><strong><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.consumersenergy.com\">www.consumersenergy.com<\/a><\/em><\/strong><em> or join us on Facebook at: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/consumersenergymichigan\">www.facebook.com\/consumersenergymichigan<\/a>\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Consumers Energy Media Contacts: Roger Morgenstern, 517\/530-4364 or Terry DeDoes, 517\/374-2159<\/em><\/p>\n","comment_info":"No Comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3389"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21106,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3389\/revisions\/21106"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3389"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=3389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}