The University at Buffalo bills itself as the first university in the nation to replace its campus-wide beverage vending machines with green technology.

A study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that the New York state university will save nearly $21,000 a year on electricity thanks to new energy-efficient beverage vending machines, replacing machines that used to cost $50,000 a year in electricity.

The energy savings at the University at Buffalo are preventing the emission of over 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas, said Kate Lewis, marketing manager of the EPA's Energy

Star program.

The university investigated energy-efficient vending machines when it's vendor contract was renewed in 2003.

Pepsi won the new contract and its vendor, Dixie-Narco Inc., supplied UB with 132 energy-efficient beverage machines that were similar in cost to the vending machines they replaced.