What is this agreement with LADWP about?
- USC will purchase electricity and renewable energy credits to cover 25% of its needs from solar-generated power and contribute to new solar programs that expand opportunities for disadvantaged communities to access affordable clean energy through the L.A. Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Clean Energy Adder program.
- The new agreement with LADWP provides USC with electricity and also provides renewable energy credits for up to 25 megawatts of power on any given day from the Springbok 3 Solar Farm in Mojave. By displacing fossil fuel generated electricity with this solar power, the greenhouse gas reduction associated with this project is approximately equivalent to serving 5,170 homes with clean solar power.
Why is USC focused on switching some of its power to solar?
- We must make every effort to address climate change. Utility-scale solar energy is one tool to help USC achieve its Assignment: Earth goal of climate neutrality by 2025. As a leading American research institution in L.A., USC has a duty to lead by example on sustainability. It’s important to act on this opportunity with LADWP for the community and the environment.
Why not install additional solar panels to generate power on campus?
- We have installed solar panels on the rooftops of the Galen Center, Cardinal ‘N Gold apartments and the Wrigley Marine Science Center at Catalina Island, and we are looking for more opportunities to add more solar on campus. However, to get the amount of electricity required for campus operations, we must rely on the LADWP electric system.
Will this change affect all USC buildings?
- All buildings and facilities at USC’s University Park Campus near downtown L.A., and most buildings at the USC Health Sciences Campus in Boyle Heights, will benefit from the renewable energy credits generated from the power from the Springbok 3 Solar Farm facility.
What is a Clean Energy Adder?
- The Clean Energy Adder is a new, voluntary LADWP program that works with participants like USC to contribute funds for clean energy initiatives. In this case, the funds will be split between the Shared Solar Program and the Virtual Net Energy Metering pilot program. USC is the first institution to participate in the Clean Energy Adder program, which supports Assignment: Earth goals related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
What are the financial impacts?
- USC will see an increase to our electricity bill, but it will be marginal — less than 1%. This increase helps cover the rate change for switching to solar generation — plus the university’s contribution to the Clean Energy Adder.
How is this agreement different than paying more to get carbon offsets?
- We are purchasing electricity and renewable energy credits at a marginally higher rate than we previously paid for standard electricity from the grid. Through this program, we are not buying carbon offsets. USC prioritized working with LADWP to ensure that the university’s investment in solar remained within its local community.
How might this impact USC’s emissions?
- This will reduce our carbon footprint by approximately 20% and positions the university to achieve climate neutrality for scope 1 emissions (direct from USC-owned sources) and scope 2 emissions (indirect from purchased electricity, steam, heat, or cooling) by 2025.
How does USC compare to other universities that have switched to solar?
- A growing number of universities have added significant amounts of solar and/or other renewable energy to their portfolio. Some example peer institutions are Stanford University, Arizona State University, American University, University of Arizona, UCLA, the UC system, and George Washington University, in various proportions of their overall electricity consumption.
Is it true that USC is getting solar power directly from the Springbok 3 plant?
- The energy generated from the solar power plant is channeled into the City of Los Angeles’s grid. USC is buying an equal amount of electricity from the grid in real-time.
- Essentially, the City of Los Angeles grid collects electricity from many different sources to match real-time demand. That energy is pooled together and then distributed as needed without differentiation between sources.
- Additionally, 60% of LADWP’s total power currently comes from carbon-free sources. It aims to increase that proportion to 100% to eventually phase out fossil fuels. This effort is outlined in “LA100” — a renewable energy plan for Los Angeles that should be achieved by 2035.