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NIU wins pro bono consulting services to advance shift to renewable power

March 21, 2023

Committed to rapid decarbonization of campus, NIU earned one of nine pro bono consulting awards given to higher education institutions throughout the country.

Second Nature, a non-governmental organization focused on accelerating climate action in and through higher education, announced the pro bono consulting awards this month. NIU will work with Second Nature partner Coho, a global advisory firm, as it transitions to renewable energy.

“We are excited about the opportunity to work with Coho Energy. Their experience and expertise will be invaluable to inform our decision-making process as we transition to solar energy and achieve our campus decarbonization goals,” NIU President Lisa Freeman said.

“Specifically, Coho will help us to identify the renewable energy projects on campus that provide NIU the best opportunities to fulfill our commitment to carbon neutrality, while also using our campus as a living laboratory to engage with students around real-world sustainability solutions.”

As part of the Second Nature initiative, technical and advisory support worth up to $20,000 was given to nine campuses at no cost to them in the areas of climate action planning, shifting to renewable power and water resiliency strategy.

The pro bono consulting opportunity was first announced in fall of 2020, as a new Solutions Center initiative. Provided and sponsored by Coho and Brailsford & Dunlavey, another Second Nature partner, 10 colleges and universities were awarded in that inaugural round. Due to the success of the 2020 effort, Second Nature offered another round of pro bono consulting this year.

Courtney Gallaher

Currently exploring options for solar energy production as part of a transition to renewable energy, NIU will partner with Coho to determine which solar projects to pursue, said Campus Sustainability Coordinator Courtney Gallaher, Ph.D., a jointly appointed associate professor in the Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment and the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality.

“As a peri-urban campus with ample land, NIU has the potential to become energy self-sufficient and significantly reduce our overall greenhouse gas emissions,” Gallaher said. “Partnering with Coho will provide us with the much-needed industry expertise to optimize our land utilization and infrastructure resources.”

NIU signed Second Nature’s climate leadership statement last summer, vowing with other college and university leaders to help shape a sustainable society. The university is committed to become carbon neutral by 2050.

An example of solar carport arrays at MSU.

To do so, efforts are underway to identify areas of land for solar farms, solar carport arrays and potentially solar rooftops, said Gallaher, who became NIU’s first sustainability coordinator in 2021.

“We really needed a consultant to help us sift through not just the technical options, but the current economic and policy landscape to figure out what’s best for NIU,” she said.

The award not only reflects the commitment of the university’s senior leadership to sustainability, as outlined in the university’s goals, it also positions NIU as a leader in the community around sustainability.

It will help advance projects that can be used in numerous academic areas, such as environmental studies and engineering, Gallaher said. Solar farms can also be combined with other activities, including agricultural production or prairie restoration.

“As living laboratories for students, these solar projects can become classroom spaces for students to learn about and do research related to sustainable energy,” Gallaher said.