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51�Թ��� has begun construction on a 1.1 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar array on East Campus, following��approval by the Board of Regents in June 2024. The project, which is part of 51�Թ���’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, broke ground on April 18.

The solar array will generate approximately 1.4 million kilowatt hours (kWhs) annually and will offset 1.3% of 51�Թ���’s total annual electricity usage, saving the university $122,000 per year in energy costs. The project will cost $7.8 million and will be operational by January 2026, at which point a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held.

Chancellor Justin Schwartz shared his enthusiasm for the project at the groundbreaking ceremony that was attended by Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock, leaders from within Infrastructure and Resilience and project managers from McKinstry, the general contractor overseeing construction of the solar array.

"We are committed to reducing our environmental impact, reducing costs and creating a more resilient campus,” Schwartz said. “The construction of this solar array is an important step toward achieving our Climate Action Plan goals, and we are proud to promote clean energy and sustainability on our campus."

51�Թ��� currently has approximately 2.4 megawatts of solar power-generating capacity on campus that supplies roughly 2% of electricity usage. This is the second ground-mounted array, complementing 10 other arrays atop campus buildings.����