To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff &
           All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Chancellor Richard Herman" <chancellor@uiuc.edu>

Reply-To: chancellor@uiuc.edu
 Subject: MASSMAIL - Reducing Energy Costs on the Urbana Campus

DATE:       November 8, 2006

TO:         Faculty, Staff and Students

FROM:       Chancellor Richard Herman

SUBJECT:    Reducing Energy Costs on the Urbana Campus

     I am writing to ask for your help in addressing an important issue 
our campus community faces.  Over the last five years the Urbana-Champaign 
campus has realized an unprecedented increase in utility costs.  This 
adverse financial impact in utilities was accompanied by new or deepening 
cost pressures in nearly every area of campus operations.  Today utility 
costs are now one of the largest components of the non-discretionary 
annual costs that negatively impact salary programs, tuition rates, and 
program expansion plans.  

     President White recently appointed an Energy Task Force of faculty 
and administrators from UIC, UIUC, UIS, and University Administration to:  
1) examine the factors impacting energy costs on all University of 
Illinois campuses; and 2) make recommendations to minimize energy costs in 
the future.  The Task Force is co-chaired by UIUC Provost Linda Katehi and 
UIC Provost Michael Tanner, and is expected to submit a preliminary report 
in March 2007 and a final report in May 2007.  

     While the Task Force findings and recommendations are critical to our 
longer-term energy picture, we need not wait for their final report to 
begin moving toward greater energy responsibility.  Regardless of our 
eventual energy procurement or management strategies, the campus will 
always benefit from reducing consumption.   Responsible conservation pays 
benefits both immediately and for the long term.  It is a universally 
prudent approach to diminish the spiraling costs of energy consumption 
that reduce funds available for our primary missions. 

     In light of these energy issues, I am forming a Campus Energy 
Conservation Committee to:  1) develop a clear campus policy for energy 
use and conservation; and 2) help identify areas of energy cost avoidance 
on the Urbana campus.  I have asked Terry Ruprecht to serve in a new role 
of Director of Energy Conservation for the Urbana campus.  He will work 
with colleges, departments, and Facilities and Services to structure 
conservation efforts and ensure that we begin to reduce campus energy 
use.   
  
     In addition to the above actions, I request that all faculty, 
students, and staff take personal responsibility in reducing energy use 
wherever possible.  Individual efforts may seem small at first glance, but 
they add up significantly across a campus the size of ours.  All members 
of our campus community can assist by:

     - Turning out lights in unoccupied spaces and during unoccupied       
periods
     - Lowering thermostat settings a few degrees in the winter
     - Raising thermostat settings a few degrees during the summer air-
conditioning season
     - Assuring that all lights, computers, monitors, copiers, and other 
equipment are shut off for weekends unless specifically needed
     - Helping achieve reduced operating hours of heating, ventilation, 
and air conditioning systems wherever practical 
     - Reporting wasteful practices or unnecessary use of energy to 
Facilities and Services  

     These kinds of voluntary efforts at other large universities have 
resulted in a measurable decrease in energy consumption.  Michigan State 
has seen initial drops in consumption of 4 to 8 percent on a similar 
request of their campus community.     

     Thank you for your cooperation in this important effort.  Not only 
will our entire campus community benefit from this increased 
attentiveness, but will help preserve the environment and precious natural 
resources.  

This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Chancellor

-- 
This message sent via MASSMAIL.  < http://www.cites.illinois.edu/services/massmail/ >