Decarbonization
At the 2021 Campus Sustainability Summit, Chancellor Philip DiStefano announced ¾«Æ·SMÔÚÏßӰƬ’s goal to reach Carbon Neutrality by 2050.Ìý One of the largest challenges in meeting this goal resides within the Utility District Energy System and the use of Natural Gas in district heating.
As Xcel decarbonizes the electric grid, scope 2 carbon emissions from electricity consumption reduces. Carbon emissions from carbon intensive natural gas will remain the same if we do not find an alternative heating solution. In order to cost effectively reduce carbonÌýemissions from the heating system, the University district heating will need to be replaced with system efficiency and conversion to availableÌýrenewable energy sources like electric from Xcel.