EFS Profiles
The Largest Wind Energy Purchase in the U.S.
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Purpose: Greening the Campus
Please note that the copyright for this profile is retained by the institution.
Carnegie Mellon University aims to provide leadership in demonstrating the need and importance of environmentally sustainable practices in our places of work, our homes and our communities. In an effort to practice what it preaches, Carnegie Mellon has made the nation's largest single retail purchase of wind energy through and among Carnegie Mellon, Community Energy, Inc., and Environmental Defense.
The commitment to wind is part of its overall energy management and conservation effort. Carnegie Mellon will buy five percent of its total electricity next year from new wind power generated in western Pennsylvania. The purchase of 4,778 megawatt-hours of wind-generated electricity is part of Carnegie Mellon's commitment to cleaner energy and the environment. The purchase is equivalent to the energy required by nearly 650 homes per year but, at an estimated additional cost of $80,000 annually.
Carnegie Mellon has evaluated the emissions of prospective electric generation suppliers from the start of deregulation in Pennsylvania. The Environmental Practices Committee, a university group of faculty and staff with expertise in environmental issues, recommended the purchase of renewable energy if possible. No bids for renewable energy supply for a portion of our electricity needs were received the first three years.
When Carnegie Mellon was preparing to re-bid its electricity supply contract this year, Environmental Defense recommended two renewable energy suppliers capable of providing Carnegie Mellon 5 percent of its power usage for fiscal year 2002. Some faculty associated with the Green Design Initiative (www.ce.cmu.edu/GreenDesign/) reviewed the bids for emissions and recommended 100 percent wind power as the best buy environmentally.
While the cost of wind power is somewhat higher (approximately two cents per kilowatt hour) than conventional sources, Carnegie Mellon has made this investment (1) to demonstrate the university's recognition of the importance of development of renewable, less environmentally damaging sources of energy, (2) to provide educational opportunities for our students, faculty and staff, and (3) to help support the development of wind power generation in Western Pennsylvania.
Carnegie Mellon's wind energy will be generated by 1.5 megawatt wind turbines to be installed this fall at the Exelon-Community Energy Wind Farm at Mill Run, under construction in Springfield and Stewart Townships in Fayette County, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The Mill Run project, consisting of 10 1.5-megawatt turbines, the largest wind farm announced in the eastern U.S. to date. The Carnegie Mellon wind energy purchase of 4,778 megawatt-hours will require more than an entire dedicated turbine to meet the demand.
The Environmental Practices Committee is planning a "university challenge" for conservation efforts to cover the extra cost of the wind power. This will have the added benefit of reducing the university's overall.
For additional information:
Carnegie Mellon Environmental Practices
Committee
This document was last modified on 02/20/2002 11:09:41 AM
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