Clean Energy Fee Funding Guidelines

Governing Body:

A Clean Energy standing committee has been established to administer the funds generated by the $8 per student per semester Clean Energy fee. Members of this Clean Energy Committee include:

• 4 voting students serving staggered terms: 2 students shall serve two-year terms, 2 shall serve for one year;
• 1 voting faculty member appointed by the Faculty Senate;
• 1 non-voting chairperson, the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, to be responsible for basic committee oversight, coordination, and facilitation;
• 1 non-voting Ex-officio advisor from MTSU Facilities Services and/or Center for Energy Efficiency.

Members will demonstrate reasonable knowledge and concern for clean, renewable energy practices, as well as familiarity with efficiency and conservation principles. Membership will be granted by the chairperson according to appointments made by the SGA President.

Prospective candidates for the committee include—but are not limited to—students, faculty, and staff representing Biology, Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies, Agribusiness and Agriscience, and Environmental Science. At least one student member should represent Students for Environmental Action (SEA), so long as SEA remains an active student organization.

The Clean Energy Committee will manage Clean Energy funds according to the guidelines outlined below. Tasks include:

• Meet at least once per semester, or more as the committee deems necessary;
• At each semester's meeting, the committee shall review proposed projects;
• Compose a portfolio of the previous semester's progress to be published to the University community in an annual report;
• Work in conjunction with University Policy, standards, best practices and in conjunction with the Academic Master Plan.

Projects and proposals should focus primarily on:

• Renewable Energy
• Energy Conservation/Efficiency
• Alternative Fuels
• Sustainable design

Eligible spending may include:

• On-site generation projects that utilize and publicize renewable energy technologies, such as solar array displays on campus;
• Opportunities that may arise to gain additional funding or offset costs through rebate programs, such as the Generation Partners program provided by Tennessee Valley Authority and Murfreesboro Electric Department;
• Up to 10% of the total annual appropriations may be allocated to perform studies that analyze energy efficiency initiatives;
• Up to 10% of the total annual appropriations may be used for research grants, as well as academic programs for educational, training, and research purposes, to help develop awareness of energy use, consumption, and conservation to be awarded within the MTSU community.

To submit a Clean Energy Fee funding proposal, go to http://mtweb.mtsu.edu/cee/mtsu_clean_energy_initiative.htm .

For more information concerning Clean Energy funding requests please contact Dr. Danny Kelley ( dkelley@mtsu.edu ) at 898-5812 or Joe Whitefield ( jwhitefi@mtsu.edu ) at 898-2414.