Historic wind energy deal expected to power 100% of Bentley University campus operations

Bentley University has struck a deal to purchase electricity from Maine’s Kibby Wind Farm, which is expected to power 100% of campus operations by the end of 2027. The four-year deal, signed in December 2023, aligns with the university’s plans Sustainability and Climate Action Planwhich commits to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

“As we considered the next steps in the university’s renewable energy strategy, we determined that sourcing electricity from local, renewable sources would be the most impactful choice,” he said. Natalie Hayesdirector Bentley’s Office of Sustainability (Lack).

Sophie Rodgers ’20former senior manager at OOS and key to securing the deal, adds: “This was a major undertaking by Bentley and it puts the university on track to meeting its Sustainability and Climate Action Plan goals.”

The choice of the Northeast resource, Hayes said, was intentional to provide Bentley students with an additional educational component. Office of Sustainability staff worked with an assistant professor of energy Zana Cranmer In Faculty of Natural Sciences to create an intensive field course on wind energy that will include a visit to a wind farm. “We are thrilled that Sophie will continue her extraordinary contribution to Bentley as a graduate student, working with Professor Cranmer to design and deliver this course,” says Hayes.

The field course, scheduled to begin in spring 2025, will complement Cranmer’s series of energy courses, with a focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Kibby Wind Farm is owned and operated by REV Renewables (“REV”), an industry leader in the development, acquisition, and operation of renewable energy and energy storage. Formed by LS Power in 2021, REV operates one of the largest independent portfolios of renewable energy and energy storage in the country, with an operating portfolio approaching 3 GW and a significant growth pipeline. REV’s multidisciplinary team and unique commercial approach enable the company to deliver tailored solutions for partners and customers like Bentley.