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JCCC Partners with KCPL on Renewable Energy

May 28, 2019

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Johnson County Community College (JCCC) has finalized a 10-year agreement with Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) that will allow the College to offset its current energy production purchases with higher levels of wind energy use. The program, titled Renewables Direct, is designed to provide large customers like JCCC with the abundant, affordable renewable energy of Kansas and Missouri. As a Renewables Direct customer, JCCC may save between $30,000 and $40,000 each year, while becoming a nearly 100 percent renewable-energy institution.

According to Dr. Jay Antle, Executive Director of Sustainability, “This partnership between KCP&L and JCCC allows the College to reduce its carbon emissions while bringing new wind capacity into the KCP&L generation mix at the same time. This is an important initiative to join.”

“We applaud Johnson County Community College's commitment to sustainable energy solutions,” said Chuck Caisley, senior vice president, public affairs and marketing, and chief customer officer for Evergy, which operates Westar Energy and KCP&L. “Renewables Direct provides cost-effective access to Kansas' excellent wind energy resources. We appreciate their role in making the introduction of this new program a success.”

Sustainability has played a key role at JCCC for more than 10 years, and this initiative allows the College to advance its operational goals, including:

  • Become a zero-waste-to-landfill campus by 2025.
  • Reduce JCCC’s carbon footprint through energy efficiency, renewable energy deployment, carbon sequestration and effective vehicle fleet management.
  • Support continued reduction of energy and water use through conservation.

Spearheaded by the Center for Sustainability, the College’s sustainability efforts are integrated into its curriculum and daily operations, transforming the physical campus into a living, learning laboratory. Since 2008 alone, JCCC has experienced $3.6 million in avoided energy costs. And since 2009, the College has reduced its carbon emissions by 25 percent.

Learn more about JCCC’s sustainability initiatives.

 

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