U Manchester Enters Solar Electricity Purchase Agreement
(U.K.) The university recently signed a corporate power purchase agreement for up to 65 percent of its electricity demand to be supplied from a large-scale solar farm comprising 175 acres. The university will purchase approximately 80 percent of the electricity for a decade from the project.
Nine HEIs Sign Solar PPA
Davidson College, Dickinson College, Elon University, Haverford College, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, Swarthmore College and Wake Forest University have co-signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for power produced by a new 150-megawatt solar facility to be located in Kentucky.
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.
Franklin U Switzerland Purchases 100% Hydroelectricity
The university recently announced the purchase of Guarantees of Origin to buy hydroelectricity to meet 100 percent demand for 2024 and 2025. The university's 2024 participation in the hydroelectricity program is sponsored by a company that is partnering with the sustainability office to develop an internship program to communicate the company’s sustainability commitment and efforts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
