Hydro, Solar - June 25, 2020
Univ. of Pittsburgh to cover 13% of electricity from 20 MW solar farm
The University of Pittsburgh entered into a 20-year agreement that will allow them to source around 13% of its campus’ annual electricity usage from a 20 MW solar farm on the border of Allegheny and Beaver counties.
The Guacho Solar project is still under review by municipal authorities but is expected to begin operations in mid-2022, subject to project approvals. The university has previously committed to being carbon neutral by 2037 and plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half between 2008 and 2030 in addition to sourcing 50% of its electricity from renewables before 2030.
“Electricity generation accounts for about half of the University’s greenhouse gas emissions, so our commitment to local, renewable solar power is an important part of Pitt’s ongoing effort to reduce its carbon footprint,” Aurora Sharrard, Pitt’s director of sustainability, said in a statement. “At the same time, it benefits the entire community by reducing pollutants from electricity generation that harm the region’s air quality.”
The university’s electricity supply was made of 23% renewables at the end of 2019 and the campus is on track to achieve 38% by 2023 with the inclusion of the Guacho Solar project and a previously announced plan to source from a hydropower plant.
Read These Related Articles:
Stay Up-To-Date
