Last week, a diverse coalition of students and faculty representing different disciplines but sharing a passion for clean and resilient energy at NYU, came together to start discussing NYU’s proposal for Governor Cuomo’s REV Campus Challenge. In October, Governor Cuomo visited NYU for a Climate Day of Action event hosted by EarthMatters and the national Know Tomorrow Campaign. Check out a post written by our very own Tessa Rosenberry who joined Governor Cuomo and a panel of student environmental leaders for that event. During his remarks, Governor Cuomo announced the REV Challenge, calling for student-driven proposals for clean energy projects at New York State universities and colleges.

Acting Director of the Office of Sustainability, Dianne Anderson, kicked off the REV working group meeting by discussing the ways in which NYU has worked to conserve and reduce energy use in the past. Specifically, Anderson described the co-generation plant, which is the largest capital investment in the university’s history. Going online in 2010, the plant heats and cools 40 NYU buildings and brings electricity to 26. Learn more about the co-generation plant and how it helps NYU cut emissions and costs.

During the next phase of the discussion, working group participants were asked to envision the future of the NYU campus. What does NYU’s long-term energy future look like? How are attitudes transformed amongst members of the NYU community? Who’s involved in the planning and implementation? Who’s carrying out operations?

Working group members were given time to brainstorm, bounce around thoughts and share with everyone around the table their ideas about how to shape the energy future of NYU. The top ideas discussed the implementation of renewable energy, extending conservation strategies, seeking green building certification, expanding the co-generation plant to power more of the campus, funding an on-campus digester of organics for fuel, installing green roofs, extending climate literacy through curricular requirements, and considering changes to NYU’s transportation systems.

Before closing out the meeting, the group established next steps. While the official rules of the challenge are forthcoming, the REV working group plans to start mapping out where the university’s energy efforts are currently focused and where there is potential for the greatest impact.

It’s not too late to be involved in the REV Working Group! Join here and stay tuned for more updates.