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CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Princeton Review's annual Green Guide to Colleges has listed Oregon State University among universities nationwide that are demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

OSU's credentials include a gold rating in the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System, which gauges the progress of universities toward sustainability.

OSU is also a signatory of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, an institutional commitment to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from specified campus operations, and promote research and education efforts to stabilize the Earth's climate.

The university is installing a solar hot water system in Dixon Recreation Center, which already uses 22 elliptical machines that allow individuals, as they exercise, to help generate power for the building. OSU is the tenth largest purchaser of renewable energy among U.S. colleges and universities, and 56 percent of campus electricity use is offset with renewable energy certificates that help support the use and development of alternative energy sources.

"As a university, we are constantly finding new ways to become more sustainable," said Brandon Trelstad, the OSU sustainability coordinator.

With the recent completion of the co-generation Energy Center, OSU had the first LEED platinum-certified power plant in the nation, and all new construction on campus must be LEED-certified silver or the equivalent.

More information on the guide is available online at http://bit.ly/cJmTGu, and more information about sustainability at OSU at http://oregonstate.edu/sustainability/