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�鶹��ý is making progress on its move away from fossil fuels, primarily through a multi-year project on the Davis campus to switch the central district energy plant from natural gas to electricity. Last month, Chancellor Gary S. May and the Chancellor’s Committee for Campus Planning and Design endorsed moving forward with a $55.5 million investment of campus funds for the project’s next phase. This is on top of the $56 million invested for the project’s first phase.

The project, the Big Shift, converts the central district energy plant from steam, made by burning natural gas, to hot water, heated through electric means. Not only will the change allow renewable energy sources to be used, but less energy will be needed because of the lower temperatures. Because the Big Shift will use less energy, it will also reduce utility costs over time.

Natural gas represents 95% the fossil fuel use at �鶹��ý, with the overwhelming majority of natural gas used at the university’s three district energy plants: two in Davis and one in Sacramento.

“The Big Shift is a crucial step towards reducing �鶹��ý’ overall carbon footprint and eliminating our reliance on fossil fuels,” said Carla Fresquez, interim director of �鶹��ý Sustainability. “This infrastructure overhaul reflects how �鶹��ý is prioritizing long-term solutions that are high impact rather than quicker fixes that are lower impact."

Four miles of new hot water pipes have already been installed since 2020 in the first phase of the project, and last month’s $55.5 million additional endorsement will fund 2 miles more — plus infrastructure updates in 22 buildings. Phase two will cover the Segundo and Regan residence halls, the Student Health and Wellness Center, the Activities and Recreation Center and the University Credit Union Center, in addition to a handful of classroom and lab buildings.

The combination of phases 1 and 2 reduces natural gas usage in the central district energy plant by a total of 10%. Most of the reductions will be realized in future phases, but phases 1 and 2 are necessary first steps. The Big Shift team is seeking additional funding sources, like grants available through the federal Inflation Reduction Act and elsewhere, to continue their plans.

The Big Shift has a projected total cost of more than $360 million.

Pathway plan: Comment by Oct. 27

The Big Shift, which will replace a type of heating that has been in use at �鶹��ý since the 1930s, plays a major role in the university’s overall goals to become fossil fuel free, as spelled out in a draft pathway plan that is open for comment through O