UNC students protest for system-wide clean energy for universities

Sharanya Thiru wants a bright future for her planet and her school.

She stood in the Pit on Thursday to promote an Association of Student Government resolution to support clean energy that will be put to a vote on Saturday.

The resolution will encourage Duke Energy, the Charlotte-based energy company that has recently come under criticism for spilling coal ash in the Dan River, to provide UNC-system schools with 100 percent clean energy with no additional costs.

“We need a planet to call home,” Thiru said. “And the way that things are going, that’s not really going to be happening.”

Tait Chandler, an organizer of the demonstration in the Pit and member of environmental advocacy group N.C. Student Energy Network, said the resolution would have no legislative impact, but it would show support for clean energy on campuses from the UNC system schools.

“There has to be some pressure put on decision-makers by citizens,” he said. “They have to put their foot down and demand something if they want it.”

Chandler said the resolution has been approved by eight of the student body presidents from UNC-system schools, including UNC-CH Student Body President Christy Lambden — which constitutes a majority. He is hopeful that the resolution will pass through ASG.

The resolution will be introduced to ASG Friday and will be put to a vote at their meeting this Saturday.

The UNC system is one of Duke Energy’s largest customers, paying the company $230 million a year, Chandler said in a press release.

Chandler said the UNC system will work to reduce its carbon emissions through the use of clean energy sources like solar power, wind power and biomass to reduce the system’s carbon footprint to zero by 2050.

Clean energy accounted for 3 percent of Duke Energy’s sales in 2012.

Chandler said he hopes renewable energy research can silence claims that the technology is too unreliable and expensive.

“If we put ourselves in a place where we’re benefitting from the technological innovations that are coming to renewable energy, then those drawbacks that are obvious now will fall away in the future,” he said.

Chandler said the University should invest in more solar panels. He said they are expensive, but maintaining panels is a simpler, less expensive task than continuously harvesting a source of non-renewable energy, like coal or natural gas.

N.C. State University sophomore Amy Thai said she believes the resolution will pass because of the constant advocacy for the cause.

“There’s going to be a big impact, and it’s not going to be like we didn’t do our homework,” she said.

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