A new report from environmental consultants partnering with the College to help it achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 offers a variety of options for campus leaders to consider as they work on a master plan for an effective, feasible path to campus decarbonization.
The report from Ever-Green Energy, hired in 2022, details specific possible actions and timelines to reduce the amount of carbon put into the atmosphere through campus energy systems and facilities, while also using soil and vegetation to remove carbon from the atmosphere. It aims to balance new technology with pragmatic solutions that are cost-effective, as financing will be a critical factor in determining the scope and timing of the College’s next steps.
The study — completed in partnership with ecological experts from EcoSmith Consulting and a team from Resource Environmental Solutions — includes an in-depth analysis of energy generation and consumption; campus infrastructure; and land management. The consultants, who visited Gambier and met with stakeholders, offered possible changes to address a variety of emissions associated with the College, including those created on and off-site to power the campus.
Ever-Green determined that the largest source of emissions associated with Kenyon comes from electricity purchased through American Electric Power. (In 2020, the College purchased renewable energy credits to offset those emissions.) Next is the combustion of natural gas on campus to heat and cool water and buildings, both through the central steam plant and various other hot water boilers. Other emissions include those associated with essential travel and goods and services that are purchased by the College.
Recommendations would impact those emission levels, either by reducing or even eliminating them, or by offsetting them through carbon sequestration. The associated costs would be significant and would need to be weighed against the important resources required for the financial aid and personnel that contribute to Kenyon’s core mission of excellence in education.
Among the actions proposed are:
Eliminating emissions associated with electricity use.
Kenyon could eliminate the bulk of its carbon emissions simply by purchasing renewable energy from a solar electricity developer in central Ohio. While the College has a favorable electrical rate locked in until 2029, current projections show that at that point a power purchase agreement with a local solar developer might result in an electrical rate lower than the forecasted rate from the utility. This means that the College might be able to eliminate current emissions from electricity usage at no additional cost.
Alternatives include continuing to purchase renewable energy credits until AEP becomes carbon-neutral — the utility has stated its aim to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 with no timeline for reaching neutrality — although the price of those credits can change with the market. Increasing the on-campus solar capacity at Kenyon, which has already been done on a small scale with installations at places like Gund Commons, would come with higher upfront costs and other challenges for widespread implementation.
Eliminating emissions from on-campus combustion of natural gas.
Installing a geo-exchange system would be a more efficient — and environmentally friendly — way to heat and cool buildings and water than the current steam plant and boilers. Such a geothermal system uses a heat pump — powered by electricity — to store and retrieve heat from the earth, which has a stable temperature and acts as a thermal reservoir. While a conventional furnace burns fossil fuel to produce heat, this system transfers heat from one place to another. It will be used on a smaller scale at the renovated Bexley Hall when it reopens, and the North Campus Apartments have been heated and cooled by a geo-exchange system since they were built.
This option comes with minimal carbon emissions, but it would take time, require extensive infrastructure changes, and thus come with significant disruptions to campus life. Creating a geo-exchange system also would require a large financial investment, estimated at $150 million. Some financial assistance is available through the Inflation Reduction Act until 2035. After the initial construction costs are paid, ongoing costs would be similar to current operation costs. Critical to the carbon neutrality of a geo-exchange system is the carbon emissions status of the electricity supply that energizes the system. Greening the College's electricity supply would have to go hand-in-hand with conversion to a campus-wide geo-exchange system.
Alternatives include using renewable natural gas derived from organic waste. This would use the existing infrastructure and come at a lower initial cost — $3 million — than a geo-exchange system. While reducing Kenyon’s reliance on gas from fossil fuels, it would still emit carbon and would cost an estimated $2 million more annually in operating costs than geothermal energy.
Using increased carbon sequestration to offset emissions from travel and goods and services.
Not all emissions can be eliminated, so this strategy uses strategic land management practices to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, something that plants accomplish naturally through photosynthesis. Increasing carbon storage on-site through ecological processes is a unique option available to Kenyon due to its extensive land holdings.
Already in process, the rate at which plants remove carbon dioxide could be increased by reforesting pasture, incentivizing carbon sequestering agricultural practices on leased farmland, and controlling invasive shrubs and planting saplings in existing mature forests. In addition to mitigating the effects of climate change, this approach can yield increased habitat for pollinators and other wildlife; improved soil fertility and capacity for attenuating stormwater runoff; reduced soil erosion; economic benefits for landowners; and opportunities for recreation and wellness in the community.
This increased management of the lands over decades, for an estimated average cost of about $300,000 per year, would significantly increase the amount of carbon that could be sequestered. While there is no quick and easy way to go about this process, it will eventually make the difference between carbon neutrality and not quite neutral. This would offset off-campus emissions resulting from travel and other essential goods and services with more minimal financial impact.
Through all of these practices — if implemented as proposed — Kenyon could reduce its carbon profile by 96%. And with improved land management and carbon sequestration, the College’s carbon dioxide emissions actually could be a net negative by 2040 with it removing nearly 2 million kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually.
So what happens next?
Campus leaders will continue to examine detailed land management practices to improve carbon sequestration and explore options for a solar power purchasing agreement that could go into effect around 2029.
Recognizing the tensions between cost, carbon emissions, and the College’s pursuit of a diverse student body from across the country and the world, determining the best path forward with respect to the current system of heating and cooling campus will require more research and conversation about the potential alternatives, their implementation and impact on the campus and the environment.
The Board of Trustees is expected to hear more about all this at its February meeting.
As indicated in Kenyon's strategic plan and the College’s commitments to preserving the lands around Gambier, the health of the College and the environment are priorities for Kenyon, and campus leaders are mindful that these decisions need to be well-informed and well-balanced to ensure a successful future for Kenyon and the world.