A Milestone Toward Carbon Neutrality
Middlebury celebrated the launch of it’s new biomass gasification plant Feb. 19, with remarks from President Ron Liebowitz, environmental author and activist Bill McKibben, and senior Billie Jayne Boarden.
This new plant connects climate, energy, and community for a more sustainable energy future. For more than a decade, carbon reduction has been a community driven initiative at the College, and in 2007 Middlebury set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2016. The completion of the biomass gasification facility marks a significant milestone toward that goal. Students, staff, and faculty from many different departments across campus were involved at every stage of this project.
Benefits of biomass gasification:
• cut Middlebury’s carbon dioxide output by 40 percent
• reduce our use of fuel oil by 50 percent
• stimulate a local, renewable energy economy