New Approach to Alternative Energy Sources for College Campuses – Tufts Now

Report on Massachusetts Energy Legislation and Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A meeting was held at Tufts University on July 17 to discuss the proposed “Energy Affordability, Independence, and Innovation Act” in Massachusetts. The event, attended by state and local government officials, university leaders, and non-profit organizations, focused on advancing affordable, low-carbon energy solutions. The proposed legislation strongly aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of clean energy, sustainable communities, climate action, and strategic partnerships.

Advancing SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

The legislation directly supports SDG 7 by promoting geothermal energy as a viable and affordable clean energy source for large-scale institutions. Geothermal loops represent a highly efficient technology for heating and cooling, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions.

• Technology Focus: Geothermal loops that transfer heat from the ground for heating and use the ground as a heat sink for cooling.
• Energy System Benefits: The adoption of this technology reduces significant strain on the traditional electrical grid and gas systems.
• Cost Savings: Proponents state the act will lower energy bills for both large institutional users and all other ratepayers, enhancing energy affordability.

The act seeks to overcome the primary barrier to adoption—high upfront capital costs—through an innovative regulatory framework:

1. Gas utility companies would be permitted to own and operate geothermal networks for large customers like universities and hospitals.
2. Customers could finance these systems over time through their utility payments.
3. The model is designed to operate without requiring subsidies from other ratepayers.

Fostering SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action)

The initiative is a critical step toward achieving climate action targets and building more sustainable and resilient communities. By enabling institutions to transition to low-carbon energy, the legislation empowers them to lead by example in addressing the climate crisis, a core objective of SDG 13.

Furthermore, the act contributes to SDG 11 by improving urban infrastructure and housing:

• Sustainable Infrastructure: The promotion of geothermal loops is ideal for large campuses, industrial parks, and housing developments, creating resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure.
• Housing Affordability: The legislation includes provisions for flexible and faster utility interconnection for new construction projects. This would accelerate the development of new university housing, such as dormitories, thereby reducing pressure on the limited supply of affordable housing in the surrounding community.

The Role of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The collaborative effort to advance this legislation exemplifies SDG 17, which emphasizes partnerships to achieve sustainable development. The convening at Tufts University brought together key stakeholders from diverse sectors to work towards a common goal.

• Government: The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the City of Medford.
• Academia: Tufts University, MIT, and UMass Lowell, representing large energy users and centers of innovation.
• Non-Profit and Private Sector: HEET, a climate solutions incubator, and PowerOptions, an energy-buying consortium.

This multi-stakeholder partnership is essential for developing and implementing modern laws and regulatory frameworks that foster cost-effective climate solutions and unlock the capital needed for a sustainable energy transition.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • The article’s central theme is the promotion of “affordable low-carbon energy solutions,” specifically geothermal energy. It discusses proposed legislation, the “Energy Affordability, Independence, and Innovation Act,” aimed at making these solutions more accessible and affordable for large institutions and all ratepayers, directly aligning with the goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • The article focuses on building new, sustainable infrastructure in the form of geothermal loops and reforming utility connections. It highlights innovation in energy systems (“energy innovation”) and the need for modern laws to support the implementation of efficient technologies on large campuses, which are significant industrial-scale energy users.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The discussion extends to making university campuses (which function like small communities) more sustainable. The article also explicitly links energy infrastructure to housing, noting that faster grid interconnections for new developments, like dorms, can help get “new housing online and reducing demand for limited affordable housing supply,” contributing to more inclusive and sustainable urban development.

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • The entire initiative is framed as a response to the climate crisis. The article states, “The need for climate action is urgent,” and promotes geothermal energy as a low-carbon solution to reduce demand on the traditional grid and gas systems, thereby mitigating climate change. The proposed legislation is a direct policy action to combat climate change and its impacts.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • The article showcases a multi-stakeholder partnership. The meeting at Tufts University involved state government (Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs), local government (Medford Mayor), academia (Tufts, MIT, UMass Lowell), and civil society/non-profits (HEET, PowerOptions). This collaboration is essential for achieving the complex goal of transitioning to sustainable energy.

Specific Targets Identified

1. Target 7.1: Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.

   • The article emphasizes that the proposed legislation would help “all ratepayers save on their energy bills” and create “lower bills for Tufts and all ratepayers,” directly addressing energy affordability.

2. Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

   • The focus on “advancing geothermal energy” and allowing gas companies to operate geothermal loops is a direct effort to increase the share of this clean, renewable heating and cooling technology.

3. Target 7.3: Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

   • Geothermal loops are described as “a very efficient form of heating and cooling technology,” and their adoption by large campuses would represent a significant improvement in energy efficiency.

4. Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable…and clean technologies.

   • The article discusses retrofitting large energy users like universities and hospitals with sustainable geothermal systems. The legislation is designed to “allow large institutions like Tufts to work with their local utility to build geothermal heating and cooling.”

5. Target 11.b: …adopt and implement integrated policies and plans towards…mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resource efficiency…

   • The “Energy Affordability, Independence, and Innovation Act” is presented as an integrated policy that addresses climate mitigation (low-carbon energy), resource efficiency (efficient geothermal systems), and social inclusion (housing affordability).

6. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

   • The proposed state-level legislation is a clear example of integrating climate change measures (promoting low-carbon energy) into official policy and planning.

7. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

   • The convening described in the article, which brought together representatives from government, universities, and non-profits, is a direct example of such a partnership in action.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Cost of energy bills for consumers.

   • The article explicitly mentions the goal of achieving “lower bills for Tufts and all ratepayers.” A direct indicator would be the change in average energy costs for residential and institutional customers following the implementation of the legislation.

2. Investment in and adoption of geothermal technology.

   • The article’s focus is on advancing geothermal energy. Progress can be measured by the number of large institutions that build geothermal loops and the total financial investment made in this technology.

3. Reduction in grid and gas system demand.

   • It is stated that using geothermal loops “would reduce demand on the grid and gas system.” This reduction can be quantified and used as an indicator of the technology’s impact.

4. Timelines for utility interconnection.

   • The legislation aims to “reduce customer costs and timelines for interconnection.” An indicator would be the average time it takes for a new development or energy project to connect to the grid, measured before and after the reform.

5. Number of new housing units brought online.

   • The article implies that faster interconnection will allow “new dorms and residence halls” to be built faster. The rate of new housing/dormitory construction connected to the grid could serve as an indirect indicator of the policy’s success in alleviating housing pressure.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: now.tufts.edu