� VASSAR COLLEGE CLIMATE PLAN FEATURES BIOFUEL
The Vassar College Board of Trustees in October 2019 declared their support for a $ 13 million energy efficiency project of major renovations and upgrades to the college ’ s heating system as well as other energy-saving projects . This was affirmed through further approval to issue bonds to support the project cost .
The renewable fuel oil ( RFO ) that Vassar plans to use is a biofuel derived from sawdust and tree trimmings from commercial timber operations , according to the Vassar College website . Instead of leaving these byproducts to release their embedded carbon through decomposition , the RFO process is able to convert the byproducts into an alternative to fossil fuels . While these still emit carbon dioxide through combustion , the net carbon footprint is considered significantly lower than alternatives like natural gas .
These byproducts come from trees in commercially managed plots , most of which meet Sustainable Forestry Initiative ( or equivalent ) standards . No clear-cut logging or other unsustainable logging practices can be used in the production of this fuel , per dictate of the U . S . Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ).
Vassar ’ s finalized 2020 Climate Action Plan ( CAP ) outlines goals to bring Vassar closer to a climate-positive future .
Over 200 students , faculty , staff , and administrators contributed their voice to the Climate Action Plan . The recommendations in the CAP touch on all aspects of Vassar ’ s operations , from how the College heats its buildings to how it treats its natural areas . Specific goals for Vassar included in the Climate Action Plan include :
• A 40 % reduction in combustion-based heating
• A 25 % reduction in waste sent to the landfill
• A 20 % reduction in emissions from campus fleet vehicles Over 750 acres covered by Restorative Land Management Guidelines Ultimately , implementing the Climate Action Plan will reduce Vassar ’ s carbon footprint by another 2,050 metric tons above and beyond the 10,200 reduced by the energy efficiency improvements already underway . By 2025 , Vassar will emit less than 5,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas - less than a sixth of its 2005 baseline emissions . It also lays the foundation for Vassar to ultimately sequester more carbon than it emits , going beyond carbon-neutral to become climate-positive . Vassar ’ s sustainability journey is illustrated below :
For transparency and accountability , the Office of Sustainability has launched a dashboard to allow for ongoing tracking of progress toward all the goals and action steps outlined in the full Climate Action Plan .
Vassar currently emits about 17,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases ( GHG ) each year . This is a significant reduction from our baseline year of 2005 , when we emitted 30,550 metric tons . Most of the reductions we ’ ve achieved so far have come from incremental efforts like switching from fuel oil to natural gas for heating , building limited on-site solar , and purchasing greener electricity as the New York State Grid goes more renewable Vassar ’ s Three-Year Partial Decarbonization Plan In brief , Vassar will undertake a combination of facility upgrades for energy efficiency ( including LED lighting ), a conversion of our primary central boilers from burning natural gas to burning renewable fuel oil , and a switch to 100 percent renewable purchased electricity . Work on these projects is un
With the plan as endorsed by the trustees , our carbon footprint will fall another 10,200 metric tons per year to roughly 6,850 metric tons . This will leave about half of our emissions as lingering facility-based emissions and half coming from sources like travel and commuting .
Current plans for decarbonizing facilities include the phased conversion of buildings to alternative heating technologies like geothermal , air-source , and solar-thermal heating combined with electrified systems using 100 percent renewable energy . These efforts are codified in both the 2020 Climate Action Plan and the Green Building Guidelines and are an integral part of all efforts moving forward .
� NEFI VIRTUAL PROGRAM FOR ENERGY LEADERS
NEFI announced the opening of a newly restructured Virtual Energy Leaders Program for fall 2021 . This year ’ s Virtual Energy Leaders Program will again be hosted by Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth , and will be held virtually via Zoom with an updated focus on current issues .
Carbon Neutral by 2030 ( greenhouse gases in metric tons ): 30,550 ( 2005 ); -13,500 ( 2020 ); -12,250 ( 2025 ); -4,800 ( 2030 ) = 0 and beyond
The theme for 2021 is “ to better equip energy business leaders with the skills needed to identify and manage today ’ s unique challenges , including ongoing safety concerns related to COVID-19 and other health threats and the clean energy / carbon tax / electrification movements at the state , federal and community levels .”
The virtual sessions for energy industry executives , managers and employees will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for four weeks , beginning Oct . 12 . The virtual format has enabled
14 JULY / AUGUST 2021 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www . fueloilnews . com