Brown to offset fossil fuel consumption with renewable energy investments

A FORMER SAND AND GRAVEL MINING SITE IN NORTH KINGSTOWN will be transformed into 240 acres of solar arrays that will provide 40 megawatts of energy to Rhode Island’s electrical grid. Brown University will use the energy to offset 70 percent of its annual fossil fuel consumption on campus. / COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY/STEPHEN CROCKER /
A FORMER SAND AND GRAVEL MINING SITE IN NORTH KINGSTOWN will be transformed into 240 acres of solar arrays that will provide 40 megawatts of energy to Rhode Island’s electrical grid. Brown University will use the energy to offset 70 percent of its annual fossil fuel consumption on campus. / COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY/STEPHEN CROCKER /

PROVIDENCE – In the first of two planned renewable energy projects, Brown University will develop a solar facility on a former 240-acre sand and gravel mine in North Kingstown with the expectation of offsetting roughly 70 percent of the school’s annual fossil fuel consumption.

The new solar plant is touted as the state’s largest contiguous solar generation facility and is designed to deliver 40 megawatts of converted AC power to the local grid.

Another 8-megawatt wind power renewable energy project based in Texas is expected to offset the remaining 30 percent of fossil fuel consumption.

The solar power projects, announced by the Providence-based Ivy League school last week, will see the school partner with Constellation, a national energy provider based in Baltimore, Md., and Energy Development Partners, based in Providence.

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“In choosing to offset all on-campus electricity use with renewable energy, we are taking a significant step forward in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Brown President Christina H. Paxson in prepared remarks. “We realize that there is much more work ahead to ensure we do all we can to contribute to global efforts to combat the increasingly dire threat posed by climate change.”

Jointly, the two new initiatives will help the university realize its goal of cutting 2007 greenhouse gas emission levels by 42 percent before the year 2020. Prior to 2007, the school had previously cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent via promotion of energy efficient measures such as LED lighting and conversion of oil- and steam-powered heating systems to natural gas.

Timelines for both projects have yet to be determined by the school, energy providers and local utility companies. A spokesperson for the school, Jill Kimball, reiterated that no further information could be disclosed at this time about the expected completion dates.

EDP will purchase the North Kingstown site and complete renovations in collaboration with Constellation. The Baltimore-based energy provider will retain ownership of the solar technology and lease the land in partnership with Brown.

Renewable energy credits, documents which prove the school’s ownership of the energy being produced at the North Kingstown facility, will be earned by the school through CustomerFirst Renewables as part of a 25-year energy services agreement between Brown and Constellation.

Thursday’s announcement did not outline the energy provider partnering with the school on the renewable wind initiative only to say it is not Constellation. However, Kimball said Brown will make an announcement in the spring regarding new renewable energy goals and may release more information on the Texas project then.

The university’s new endeavors also operate in-line with the state’s desire to be more eco-friendly – particularly the 2017 goal set out by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo to increase renewable energy in the state from 100 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts by 2020.

“By enabling the construction of 40 megawatts of new renewables that will flow directly into Rhode Island’s electrical grid, Brown will play a substantial role in boosting the renewable energy assets in support of the state’s clean energy goals,” said Porder, Brown’s assistant provost for sustainability and an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, in a statement.

R.I. State Energy Commissioner Carol Grant added in prepared remarks: “We applaud Brown University for making the switch to 100 percent renewable energy via these two projects. … Once this project moves forward, it will contribute to the governor’s goal.”

Given the expected proficiency of these two facilities, as well as renewable energy agreements laid out by the school, said Porder, Brown is on track to reduce net greenhouse emissions by 67 percent by 2020 – 25 percent higher than its goal set out 12 years ago.

The solar and wind projects announced by the school late last week are two of more than 30 proposals reviewed by the school regarding renewable energy investments submitted by developers from across the country. These proposals were analyzed on their economic, social, political and environmental strengths by a group of faculty and staff.

Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.

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