Every day is a good day to learn more about UC San Diego, but we've chosen a particular one to spread knowledge with our new feature called "Triton Tuesday." Each Tuesday, get the inside scoop with fun facts about Triton athletics, the UC San Diego campus and community, and our beautiful home of San Diego, California, in a Did You Know? format.
 
Since its founding on November 18, 1960 in La Jolla, the University of California San Diego has established itself as a global leader in sustainability. 

How is the oceanside campus backing up its pledge?

Already, UC San Diego has one of America's greenest vehicle fleets. More than 50% of campus vehicles are hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles, and by 2025 the majority of new light duty fleet purchases will be either zero emission or hybrid vehicles. 

The University has also invested heavily in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on campus. UC San Diego was honored with the 2018 Grid Edge Innovation Award for serving as an epicenter for research, development and commercialization on smart electric vehicle (EV) charging. UC San Diego has collaborations with over 18 companies and organizations in providing 135 EV charging stations on campus. UC San Diego was the first university to receive a Grid Edge Innovation Award from Greentech Media, a leading information services company for technologies, markets and businesses shaping the future of the electricity sector. 

UC San Diego has built one of the world's the most advanced microgrids, which is key to creating a carbon neutral campus. The microgrid provides a flexible, resilient, reliable, secure energy distribution system that generates more than 85% of the electricity used on campus annually. Power is provided from several sources the campus' 30-megawatt cogeneration plant, 2.8-megawatt renewable energy fuel cell, and 2.4 megawatts of solar arrays.

Here are some other sustainability initiatives taking place on campus:
Zero-waste (90 percent diversion from landfill) on campus by 2020
More than three dozen buildings on campus are LEED-certified, including three platinum and nearly 20 gold.
Extending the Mid-Coast Trolley to campus, with service expected to begin late 2021
Development of a UC San Diego Climate Action Plan

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PRIOR TRITON TUESDAYS
• 1992 Dream Team Finds a Home at Main Gym (Sept. 1)
• UC San Diego Home to Award-Winning Faculty (Sept. 8)
• UC San Diego Athletics Hall of Fame (Sept. 15)
• Exploring Dr. Seuss in San Diego (Sept. 22)
• La Jolla's Wonderful Weather (Sept. 29)
• Academic Excellence on Display by the Tritons (Oct. 6)
• Getting to Know Our Unique College System (Oct. 13)
• La Jolla's Local Beaches (Oct. 20)
• Renowned Surf in San Diego (Oct. 27)
• University Rankings Recap (Nov. 3)
• Notable Triton Alumni (Nov. 10)

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide more than 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. In addition, 83 Tritons have been named Academic All-Americans, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.