U Pennsylvania Purchases Solar Electricity From 220MW Farm
The university will now be receiving all of the solar electricity from a recently connected 220-megawatt photovoltaic farm, which will meet the equivalent of 70 percent of the electricity demand of its campus and health system facilities in the Philadelphia area.
Northern Michigan U Finalizes Carbon Neutrality Plan
The plan calls for reducing emissions by 25 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, then eliminating remaining emissions by 2050. It includes five key strategies for achieving its goal: reduced energy use; optimized infrastructure to minimize operational costs and emissions; a “right size” campus physical footprint to maximize use and efficiency of new and existing spaces; renewable energy investments; and increased carbon sequestration on university land.
Energy Dept Funds Research on Clean Energy & Decarbonization
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $17.4 million to 17 institutions of higher education primarily serving traditionally underrepresented communities to support novel, early-stage research on topics such as carbon capture, carbon dioxide removal, carbon conversion, and hydrogen with carbon management.
Middlebury College Adds Solar Electricity
New photovoltaic panels are being installed on the Middlebury Institute of International Studies campus in Monterey, California, and are expected to generate over 60 percent of the total campus electricity use. The project was made possible through a 20-year power purchase agreement with a third party, which financed the project and will own and operate the solar arrays.
Columbia U Commits to Reduce Food-Based Carbon Emissions
The university recently signed onto the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, a New York City-wide initiative to reduce carbon emissions through plant-forward food. Columbia Dining has committed to reducing its food-based carbon emissions 25% by 2030 through a plant-powered procurement strategy for its dining operations.
Second Nature Announces Catalyst Grant Recipients
Eleven colleges and universities have been selected to receive up to $10,000 each for projects that accelerate decarbonization, climate resilience and climate justice. The 11 institutions are Central Oregon Community College, Earlham College, Morehouse College, Northeastern University, Paradise Valley Community College, SUNY New Paltz, Tecnológico de Monterrey, University at Buffalo, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Warren Wilson College and Western Colorado University.
Six HEIs to Receive $5M for Climate Resilience Centers
Michigan Technological University; Morgan State University; North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; Northern Arizona University; San Jose State University; and University of California, Merced will receive $5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for six projects that will increase the use and utility of research to improve climate resilience, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Indiana U Publishes Climate Action Plan
The university's new Climate Action Plan establishes a 2040 carbon neutrality goal. It contains 12 recommendations across six categories–utility grid, infrastructure, renewables, behavior, financing and implementation.
U California Awards $80M Toward Climate Priorities
As part of a historic partnership between the University of California (UC) and the state of California, the university in August announced it is awarding over $80 million in climate action grants to spur implementation of solutions that directly address state climate priorities. The selected projects aim to improve the health of farmworkers; increase resilience of state water and power systems; and identify innovative nature-based solutions toward biodiversity degradation, sea level rise, and wildfire risk.
U California Implements Equity Weighted Social Cost of Carbon
UC implemented recently an equity-weighted social cost of carbon in its carbon neutrality planning. The SCC incorporates the societal costs of climate change into university investment decisions to reduce campus energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Investment Coalition Seeks to Stop New Fossil Fuel Projects
(U.K.) Representatives from the Universities of Newcastle, Sussex, Bristol, and from Trinity College Cambridge and Jesus College at the University of Cambridge recently published an open letter asking asset managers to vote against directors of companies pursuing or backing new fossil fuel projects. It also asks investors to support all climate-linked shareholder resolutions, particularly those that call for an end to new fossil fuel projects.
U California Signs 85 MW Wind Energy Contract
The newly signed wind energy contract supports a 3,500 megawatt utility-scale wind farm in New Mexico. The university is procuring 85 megawatts, which is equivalent to the total annual electricity consumption for US Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside and UC Merced combined. Construction is expected to start this year and commercial operation is anticipated in 2026.
