NJIT Kicks Off 2022 With Big Investment In Renewable Energy

NEWARK, NJ — The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will be making a big investment in renewable energy for 2022, administrators say.

Last month, NJIT and a subsidiary of ENGIE North America said the university will purchase renewable energy from a portfolio of hydropower facilities equal to “nearly 100 percent” of its forecasted electricity consumption.

According to a university news release:

“For 2022, NJIT shall purchase approximately 43,800 megawatt-hours of supply of renewable, clean generation from the Smoky Mountain Hydropower portfolio located along the North Carolina-Tennessee border. The hydropower portfolio is owned and operated by New York-based Brookfield Renewable U.S… The Smoky Mountain Hydropower portfolio consists of four hydropower facilities located along the Little Tennessee and Cheoah rivers in Tennessee and North Carolina, with a total installed capacity of 375 megawatts. The facilities are certified by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute.”

NJIT spokespeople said the agreement includes the purchase of an equivalent number of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from the Smoky Mountain Hydropower portfolio.

“By investing in RECs, [the university] is increasing demand for renewable energy, encouraging the development of new renewable energy projects and providing generator owners with additional revenue that goes beyond selling the facility’s electricity,” NJIT spokespeople said.

According to NJIT, the renewable energy in the agreement “avoids more than 31,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions over the span of the contract,” which represents the equivalent carbon capture of mor than 38,000 acres of forest, according to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

Spokespeople said the renewable energy deal is part of a larger sustainability campaign at NJIT to “reduce energy and mitigate waste” through efforts such as the future installation of a 500 kW solar panel field on the Wellness and Events Center, and a university-wide food composting program.

• See related article: These Drones Replant Forests. Meet The NJIT Alum Who Created Them

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