SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The University of Notre Dame has been recognized with a Partners for Clean Air Award from the Michiana Area Council of Governments for its commitment to clean energy, including recent long-term investments in solar and hydroelectric power and geothermal heating and cooling.

The award is for significant investment in clean energy projects, including the new hydro facility in downtown South Bend, the new geothermal plant on the north side of campus and an agreement with Indiana Michigan Power to purchase clean energy credits from the utility’s new solar farm in Granger.

Combined, these and other projects either conserve energy or generate clean, renewable energy in support of a broader goal: a cleaner, more sustainable campus.

In addition to Notre Dame, other Partners for Clean Air Award winners this year are the city of Goshen, John Glenn School Corp. and Recycling Works Inc. of Waste-Away Group.

“This year’s award winners have implemented significant clean energy and clean transportation projects that will have an impact for years to come,” said James Turnwald, executive director of MACOG, a metropolitan planning organization for Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph counties.

Notre Dame’s commitment to sustainability is grounded in its Catholic mission and values.

It acknowledges the link between sustainability and the University’s future and equates stewardship of the planet with care for God’s creation.

It also recognizes the need to conserve the environment in a way that promotes economic and social justice and emphasizes the link between sustainability and the common good.