September 18, 2018

Boston University signs 15-year wind PPA

Boston University has signed a 15-year PPA for wind power beginning in 2020 as part its Climate Action Plan (CAP) to reach zero carbon emissions by 2040.

 A report from BU Today said the agreement, signed with ENGIE North America, calls for the University to buy 205,000 megawatt hours of power annually from a South Dakota wind farm that will begin construction in the spring. RECS earned from the deal, along with increasing energy efficiency, renewable sources, and the ongoing greening of the New England power grid, are key strategies of the CAP.  The University will spend $141 million over 10 years on capital improvements to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

"Buying power outside of its New England backyard gives BU added punch against climate change," said Dennis Carlberg, sustainability director at BU. "That’s because the power grid in the upper Midwest is far more reliant on environmentally harmful fossil fuels than New England’s. The Power Purchase Agreement will provide essential financing for the South Dakota wind farm, he says, which in turn will boost that region’s store of cleaner energy."

As part of its contract with ENGIE, BU will also receive educational and research opportunities for faculty and students, including two ENGIE summer internships for students who want to learn about wind power or energy efficiency or how to put business plans together.

Since 2006, the University has reduced its carbon emissions by about 25% through energy efficiency, replacing oil usage with cleaner natural gas, and through the growing greening of the New England electricity grid, according to Carlberg.