Hydro, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  February 14, 2020

University of Utah to power 50% operations with geothermal energy

The University of Utah became the first public college in the state to sign an energy deal that allows them to source more than 50% of their electricity from renewable sources.

The university completed an agreement with Cyrq Energy to purchase geothermal energy that accounts for 53.7% of the Salt Lake City campus electricity needs, the Houston Chronicle reported. The move gets the university closer to their goal of carbon neutrality before 2050.

While the university did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement, they did say that the cost will be comparable to what they currently pay for electricity.

The source of the geothermal energy will be four wells drilled into the ground over pools of hot water more than 365 degrees Fahrenheit, where vapor then rotates a turbine that produces the power.

“This is just such a big step, and it puts us on our way to being entirely carbon neutral,” Keith Diaz-Moore, the university’s interim chief sustainability officer, told the publication.

Before this agreement, the University of Utah operated with less than 5% of renewable energy, most of which came from hydro and solar sources.