The energy systems of Middlebury College are renewable in terms of the current definition of that word, however, in our current world, renewable is not the same thing as sustainable. Renewability simply means that the resources being consumed are not being taken from Earth’s finite store that can never be replenished in the future. Sustainability furthers the idea of renewability by making sure that we are no longer harmfully extracting from both the Earth’s finite resources and also our own cultural, and social resources. This comprehensive duality that cares for both the natural world and humanity simultaneously is imperative to reaching a future that is not just ecologically sustainable but also equitable and just for all. Throughout the entire world, and also more specifically here at Middlebury College, efforts to transform energy systems toward a greener future need to be refocused so that they are not just renewable but also sustainable.

What is Energy 2028?

Energy2028 is Middlebury College’s 10-year sustainability initiative, first announced in 2019. The mission of this initiative is “students learning how to engage their communities, think consequentially, and act creatively at this crucial time for our environment” (Middlebury College, 2019).

What are the shortcomings of Energy2028?

One of the main problems with Energy2028 ties into the renewable energy commitment, which only applies to the ‘core Vermont campus.’ Middlebury has several satellite campuses, so sustainability goals that only apply to the core campus are failing to account for major sources of energy consumption. Middlebury’s Breadloaf campus was deeded to the school with restrictions of remaining “forever wild.” Therefore, putting the Breadloaf campus under a conservation easement for Energy2028 and the goal of carbon neutrality is redundant, as it could not have been developed regardless of an easement on the land. Putting it under easement simply allowed the college to claim carbon credits.

Carbon credits as a way for an institution to become “carbon neutral” is a very common form of greenwashing. Companies can pay someone halfway across the globe to keep their forest undeveloped, allowing them to sequester more carbon. Commodification of carbon sequestration is both ineffective and unethical.

Another concern with Energy2028 is related to the heating plant at Middlebury which is partially a biofuel plant and partially a natural gas plant, both of which release carbon. The biofuel used in this plant comes from wood chips that are derived from local forests within a 75 mile radius of campus. The logging that produces these wood chips occurs on U.S. forest land or Vermont forest land according to logging regulations enforced by governmental entities. Middlebury’s carbon footprint calculations don’t include transportation emissions for producing and transporting these wood chips, which is no small endeavor.

(https://migrantjustice.net)

The other component of Middlebury’s heating plant is the natural gas side of the operation, which is divided into renewable and non-renewable natural gas. The renewable natural gas comes from Goodrich Farms, which poses another issue because that employer is guilty of human rights violations (more info available through the Milk With Dignity Campaign)

(https://powerknot.com/2021/03/01/6-reasons-anaerobic-digesters-arent-as-environmentally-friendly-as-you-think/)

Goodrich Farms employs a biodigester method, which uses anaerobic digestion in order to produce renewable natural gas. Though this method doesn’t release fossil fuels, it still does generate emissions of harmful substances. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VDEC) states that “anaerobic digesters capture gas emitted through the process, but the subsequent combustion of said gas into usable heat and electricity generates air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide.”

Effects of Anaerobic (Goodrich Farms) vs. Aerobic Digestion

What has Energy2028 Actually Achieved?

As of the 2019 fiscal year, 62% of the energy that Middlebury College currently uses is derived from renewable sources. In addition, solar projects provide enough electricity to power about a third of campus. A new solar project is in the planning stages. This solar facility would be a five-megawatt system located on 30 acres of land on South Street Extension, and it would be the second largest solar project in Vermont to date. This project has elicited some concerns from neighbors since it will be placed on one of the very few large open spaces near campus. Middlebury has tried to appease these concerns through initiatives such as planting wildflowers and establishing a sight buffer between the solar panels and the road.

Though some progress has been made, 2028 is coming up in just five years and it is worth assessing what progress towards this goal looks like. Renewable energy purely means that a fuel source is regenerated at a rate at least equal to its use. We need to begin moving towards a new definition that considers an energy source renewable if it is truly clean and without harmful emissions or other side-effects related to sustainability. Until we stop burning things as a way to create energy, regardless of whether it is petroleum or biofuel, carbon will continue to be released into the atmosphere, and our problems with energy will remain unsolved. Furthermore, to make Energy2028 truly sustainable we need to pay closer attention to who we are getting our renewable energy from. In the case of Goodrich Farm’s clashing with the Migrant Justice movement, we must either fight for farms like this to create just labor conditions for their workers or switch who we are receiving our biofuel from so that we are supporting justice not just environmentally, but also socially.

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Energy2028 Homepage | Middlebury. (n.d.). Www.middlebury.edu. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://www.middlebury.edu/energy2028#:~:text=By%202028%2C%20we%20aim%20to‌