HONOLULU -- University of Hawaii officials on Tuesday signed off on an agreement to become the first university in the country to report its gas emissions to an independent climate registry.

UH has been trying to lower its power bills and reduce its dependence on oil.

It is also been slowly adding electric and hybrid vehicles to its fleet of 350 cars.

"There is a lot of expertise in trying to compute our green house emissions, and we will be able to provide this template, too. It's appropriate for us to be engaged in this kind of research," UH economics professor Denise Konan said.

UH is the second largest energy user in the state. Officials estimate UH will pay about $18 million in power bills this year.

Its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint will include upgrading its aging air conditioners and generators and switching to solar and wind energy where it can.