2024 has now entered the history books as not only yet another “warmest year on record,” but also as the first year with an average annual temperature over the key climate threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels. The impact of human-caused planetary warming is continuing to accelerate, and with it comes the urgency of decarbonizing our energy system. As we begin 2025, I would like to take the opportunity to share an update on our own energy transition at Cornell, and some of its unique complexities and opportunities.

Cornell is committed to eliminating carbon emissions from its energy usage. Achieving this goal in a rapidly changing energy landscape in a manner that truly eliminates emissions, rather than simply shifting responsibility for them, is a complex and challenging problem. For example, a seemingly obvious measure, like covering campus roofs with solar panels, would meet only one to two percent of our annual demand — and would be less efficient, more expensive and more difficult to maintain, than the large-scale solar farms that we help to develop through long-term contracts. Achieving our goal of net-zero campus operations requires a holistic approach within the context of our campus infrastructure and, particularly, our place in the New York power grid.

Cornell’s energy consumption, broadly, falls into three categories: heat (by far the largest category), cooling and electricity. In the long term, the most promising way for us to meet our energy goals is Earth Source Heat: a game-changing technology with the potential to meet cold-climate heating needs with less electricity than other options and without the use of refrigerants (the most potent........

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