By Michele Richinick

Despite students’ questions regarding the Renewable Energy Student Generated Fund, no more than 20 students attended the forum held last Thursday held by the Husky Energy Action Team (HEAT) and the Student Government Association (SGA). Most of the students who did make an appearance were either members of HEAT and SGA.

The fund would be an annual student fee with an opt-out option, similar to the university health insurance opt-out option. As of now, HEAT and SGA think the fee will be $30 per student annually, but that is not a definite amount yet, Mandy O’Brien, director of HEAT, said.

After a brief slide show presentation O’Brien and Jennifer Hardy, who was filling in for Rob Ranley as SGA vice president for financial affairs, answered students’ questions about the fund’s implementation and establishment.

“There is an idea that students can pay more than the annual amount and logistics would be worked out,” Hardy said. “It’s great that students could contribute more than the amount and are willing to do that.”

The Renewable Energy Initiative Committee will be a group within SGA made up of six students who will eventually administer the fund, with two HEAT and one Students for Environmental Action (SEA) members serving as representatives, O’Brien said. Ideally there will be professors to advise on clean energy strategies, she said.

The types of possible energies the fund money could be invested in include solar, wind, geo-thermal, micro-hydro and bio-fuels, O’Brien said, but the most feasible energies for Northeastern are solar and wind.

During the question and answer session, someone asked about why an opt-in option, instead of an opt-out option, wouldn’t be available.

“We would’ve done an opt-in if the surveys didn’t have good results, but only 10 percent [of students] are not in favor of the fund. We shouldn’t have to actively opt-in just because 10 percent don’t want to pay,” O’Brien said. “Few schools have done an opt-in fee. There is a huge media campaign that has to go in every semester to educate students for why they have to opt-in.”

O’Brien said they would like students to opt-out during the I Am Here registrations at the beginning of each semester, but this idea is not definite yet.

One student was concerned about the money being used for energy conservation as well as renewable energy, but O’Brien said the fund can only be used for renewable energy and not energy conservation, which has a short payback period.

Energy conservation is already underway on campus, said Joe Ranahan, assistant utilities manager. The university works hard to make sure everything is as efficient as it can be, he said.

University representatives are considering replacing spotlights on buildings with solar panels, Ranahan said. The fund would make it a desirable decision to do the projects that aren’t feasible right now, he said.

“We have seen from the general student body that they want to see something on campus that was bought with their money,” Hardy said. “Something apparent on campus will promote more students to opt into it.”

Other students were concerned about the committee members who will make the decision when the fund is officially established on campus.

The representatives are in the process of writing the manual for the committee, and they are using various student government manuals to follow as examples, Hardy said. The manual will have to be approved by SGA and the Resident Student Association.

The fund will also be open to alumni and corporate donations, O’Brien said.

“It will be a clear-cut way for alumni to put their money toward something – not just students will be involved,” she said.

One student questioned the potential committee’s acceptance of new energies and technologies as time progresses.

“In order to have a [new energy] added to the list, the committee would have to vote in favor of that new renewable energy, and this will be stated in the manual,” O’Brien said. “Also, no form of clean coal will be allowed.”

The representatives working on this project think 80 percent of Northeastern students will pay the fee, O’Brien said. With the size of Northeastern and the co-op program, it might take students awhile to become involved.

“Once the project is up and running, it would be monitored and made sure that the results are coming as planned,” O’Brien said.