Campus Greening: New York University, New York, New York

NYU now purchases part of its energy from Fenner Wind Farm.

In October 2006, New York University announced the purchase of some 118 million kilowatt-hours of wind power, an amount equivalent to the power the university purchases annually from the utility Con Edison. This represents the largest purchase of wind power by any U.S. college or university so far, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership Program. It is also the largest wind power purchase by any institution in New York City and the 11th largest such purchase in the United States. NYU’s move toward greater renewable energy use is part of a broader sustainability initiative called the NYU Green Action Plan (GAP).

NYU President John Sexton attributes the school’s decision to buy wind power to his participation in the Clinton Global Initiative meetings in September, where global warming was a key focus of discussion. “It was a sobering dialogue, one that has caused me to think even more deeply about what role universities in general, and NYU in particular, should play in addressing the great challenges of our time, from climate change to extremist violence to poverty,” he said. “The full nature of those responsibilities will only emerge, I believe, out of a long discussion on our campus involving students, faculty, and administrators. But, in the meantime, this decision—which will lead to more electricity being added to the grid from clean sources, rather than from fossil fuel sources—is an important step for our campus to take.”

NYU executive vice president Michael Alfano, who made the final decision to purchase the wind energy, notes that NYU’s purchase of renewable energy, pursuit of greater conservation, and efforts to create a more sustainable campus are institutional responsibilities, consistent with the university’s values and made more relevant by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s September 2006 announcement of an ambitious environmental agenda for the city, of which NYU wants to be a part. “Cities and universities share an important characteristic—they are the places that draw in mankind to confront, contemplate, and address our most pressing challenges,” Alfano said. “It is in that spirit that we take this step.”

Among other NYU Green Action Plan initiatives completed, underway, or under consideration as of November 2006 are:

á The creation and filling of a new Assistant Vice President for Energy, Engineering & Technical Services. In June 2006, John Bradley was hired to develop and implement a comprehensive energy strategy that includes cogeneration and alternative energy sources, operation of the University’s cogeneration plant, identification and implementation of energy conservation projects, and development of engineering standards for NYU’s facilities that will improve their energy efficiency and infrastructure reliability.

á Membership in the U.S. Green Building Council, which will enable the university to access “best practices” for green building design and incorporate those ideas into strategic planning.

á Reviewing proposals for NYU’s co-generation plant to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions significantly below EPA standards.

á Reviewing sites for additional bike racks around campus to encourage bicycle commuting.

á The hiring of new employees to expand NYU’s recycling program (the university currently recycles up to 30 percent of its waste stream).

The university evaluated three partnership proposals for the wind power purchase and ultimately selected Community Energy, Inc., which has had significant experience with other universities and large institutions. NYU’s purchase of wind power will enable the generation and addition to the electrical grid of renewable, clean energy in an amount equivalent to that currently purchased by the university from hydrocarbon fuel-based electricity generators. This offset is achieved through the purchase of “renewable energy credits” from wind power producers. NYU will purchase a mix of nationally generated and locally generated wind energy.

As part of the NYU-GAP initiative, Dr. Alfano named Lynne Brown, senior vice president for university relations and public affairs, and Alison Leary, vice president for facilities and construction management, to lead a university-wide Task Force on Sustainability. The task force—which will be composed of students, faculty, and administrators—will bring forward ideas, mobilize the community, and help develop a realistic set of goals to enable NYU to move forward its sustainability initiative.

Interest in sustainability is high among members of the NYU community.

On the academic side, the university will be adding an environmental studies major in the fall of 2007.