GHG Emissions  -  July 13, 2020

UMN Morris celebrates carbon neutrality acheivement

The University of Minnesota Morris announced July 7 that their campus is now fully carbon-neutral thanks to onsite renewable energy projects.

Around 60% of the campus’ power is generated by two UMN-owned 1.65 MW wind turbines, while additional electricity is generated by several solar projects and a back-pressure steam turbine at the biomass gasification plant. The campus purchases additional clean electricity from Otter Tail Power Company (OTP), bringing their total renewable energy use on campus to 70%. The remaining power used on campus is offset through additional RECs.

While the UMN Morris campus uses half of the 10 million kWh of electricity generated by the two wind turbines each year, the other half supplies the local power grid through a partnership with OTP. 

“Achieving carbon neutrality in electricity is an important milestone for our campus,” UMN Morris Chancellor Michelle Behr said in a statement. “This is an accomplishment not only for the faculty and staff who have helped inspire our campus energy journey, but also and especially for the students who have played a leading role in helping to develop our energy plans, energy monitoring, analysis, and more.”

Environment America recognized UMN Morris in 2019 for producing the most on-site electricity per student in the United States.