KRELF Meeting Minutes – Friday 3/21/14
Agenda
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Billion Dollar Challenge conference call
EcoRep presentation
Bylaw Changes
Outreach Brainstorm
Billion Dollar Challenge notes
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Launched in 2011 by SEI following trend of colleges/universities adopting revolving energy loan
funds
Goal: to get colleges to commit to green loan funds over 6 years
Minimum green loan fund size determined by the lowest of either $1M or 1% of college
endowment (in the case of UMT, would be $1M)
50% of project savings are required to continue revolving until project loan is paid off
Yearly admin fee to SEI is 0.05% of minimum fund size (would be $500/yr for UMT)
Signing on to Challenge brings benefits:
o Access to expertise and guidance from SEI
o Green Revolving Investment Tracking System (GRITS);
 can track and organize data about savings and emission reductions)
 Has database of >200 projects to use as benchmark and source of ideas
o Support from peer network of community, webinars, etc.
o Press releases, newsletters
Questions/Discussion
Peter: If an institution has difficulty reaching fund target, what support does SEI offer to help?
Answer: SEI offers connections to people who have gone through the process before and can give
advice; there are many routes to collecting the target amount
Tom: Is there an option of getting a GRITS demo to preview before committing?
Answer: Yes – can offer online demo via screenshare
Brian: Can you highlight how access to expertise can help participating institutions?
Answer: Example: setting up a webinar between energy managers of institutions and energy experts to
go through metering procedures, etc.; or offering an expert meeting with school managers and officials
to deal with administrative obstacles
Brian: If $1M goal isn’t reached within 6 years, what happens?
Answer: Likely that SEI would work with the institution to make it work – not a hard and fast guideline if
institution is really making the effort
EcoRep Presentation (Katie)
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EcoReps have expanded into a second residence hall and have increases attendance at events
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Started recycling program, is going well (most opposition came from Res Life and custodial staff
who found that students did not respect recycling and left staff to sort trash anyway)
Events:
o Climate concert with bike-powered PA system to raise awareness
o Local food BBQ with residences
Long-term initiative: poster campaigns for awareness in dorms
Next Year: Expanding to two more halls with 5 total EcoReps
(In response to question) Expansion is planned by EcoReps, not requested by residences
Earth Week Dorm Energy Competition: for whole week energy meters will record residence
electrical usage; dorm with the greatest decrease will win competition; goal is to see if EcoRep
presence in dorms has an effect (by comparing to other dorms)
EcoReps use roughly $8000/year (work and pay, materials, etc.) from KRELF
EcoReps to submit budget proposal by 3/28/14 for $8000
(General discussion among KRELF committee members is that EcoReps should be funded in full,
and thoughtful expansion to the program should be encouraged)
By-Law Changes
1. Motion (Dennis): To amend reserve fund to specify “adequate funds” – to inform later
committee members of intention of reserve fund (specific wording in Tom’s notes)
o Second (Sam)
o Motion passed unanimously
2. Motion (Grant): To keep wording requiring that 12.5% of student contributions be set aside for
Sustainability Coordinator in addition to program
o “Program” includes anything related to ASUM sustainability, such as materials, SCC,
EcoRep expansion, etc.
o Second (Dennis)
o Motion passed unanimously
3. Motion (Dennis): To accept all other edits made to by-laws by Eva and emailed to group prior to
edits made by Robin, which are to be considered at a later meeting
o Second (Sam)
o Motion passed unanimously
Meeting adjourned