University earns seven-figure rebate thanks to natural gas
MINNEAPOLIS—CenterPoint Energy recently awarded a historic $2 million energy-conservation rebate check to the University of Minnesota for the installation and construction of its Main Energy Plant, a high-efficiency natural gas combined heat and power plant on the East Bank campus.
Energy from natural gas now powers the campus’ electrical grid, and the plant also produces thermal energy for campus heating and cooling. Overall, its efficiencies equal an annual savings of nearly 1 million dekatherms—the amount of natural gas energy typically consumed by more than 10,000 homes during a year.
The new plant—and its accompanying rebate—is part of a multiyear project to install high-efficiency equipment at the university to achieve carbon-emission reduction goals of 50 percent by 2020 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Brad Tutunjian, CenterPoint Energy’s vice president of gas operations, said, “Through the CenterPoint Energy Conservation Improvement Program, we helped the University of Minnesota implement improvements that contributed to their carbon-reduction goals, while also helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the city of Minneapolis through the direct use of natural gas.”
Paul Albinson, key account manager for CenterPoint Energy serving the university, supported the project through completion. Highlighting the value of the utility’s rebate program, he noted that such rebates are not exclusive to the University of Minnesota. “Our convenient, money-saving rebates make it easier than ever for a variety of businesses to take advantage of our conservation programs and services, making more affordable capital investments possible.”
There are “rebates” of a different kind as well: “This project is expected to save the university approximately $5.4 million in natural gas energy costs each year,” he added.
CenterPoint Energy is clearly proud of what it has been able to achieve in partnership with the university. “In the 25-plus-year history of our company’s energy efficiency programs, no entity has achieved more energy savings than the University of Minnesota,” said Tutunjian. “We congratulate the university’s staff and contractors, as well as our own dedicated employees for their part in this achievement.”