College of the Atlantic's oceanfront campus is sandwiched between Maine's Frenchman Bay and Acadia National Park. According to an energy framework developed by students through COA's All College Meeting, the school seeks to be fossil fuel-free by 2030.
Nearly two-thirds of prospective students say a college’s commitment to the environment influences their decision to apply to or attend the school. But which colleges are the most committed?
We looked at four schools that scored highly on several national reports, including AASHE’s new report and the Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges list that is based on academic offerings, campus policies, initiatives, activities, and career preparation.
Here’s what representatives from some of the top schools have to say about university sustainability, energy use, and student efforts to make their communities 
Students working with the College of the Atlantic Community Energy Center improve energy systems on the pottery shed as they work to implement the COA energy framework, which calls for a fossil fuel-free campus by 2030.greener.
“Energy efficiency has been one of our biggest factors in working towards a sustainable, fossil fuel-free campus,” says Laura Berry of the College of the Atlantic Community Energy Center. “We live in a cold, northern climate, and [sustainable heating] will always be our biggest challenge. Much of our work aims at decreasing our heating load through air sealing, insulation, and tightening our building envelopes in order to improve our building efficiency and [increase] comfort for students, faculty, and staff.”
