A Solar PPA Designed for Positive Externalities
Pennsylvania State University, AASHE, The Nature Conservancy
Video Content
Description
Drs. Meghan Hoskins and Peter Buckland from Penn State’s Sustainability Institute in collaboration with Elizabeth Johnson, The Nature Conservancy, PA and Emilie Wangerman, Lightsource BP will describe the rationale for and process of including criteria for institutional benefits, community benefits, and ecosystem services in a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a solar power purchase agreement (PPA). They worked on a diverse cross-functional team within Penn State, convened by the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) staff, to draft an RFP the criteria of which included environmental conservation language crafted in partnership with the Pennsylvania office of The Nature Conservancy. Hoskins and Buckland will discuss the evolution of the RFP, the discussion of integrated sustainability considerations, and the collaboration with The Nature Conservancy. Attendees will learn about including, scoring and ranking of nontraditional criteria in a solar PPA, integrating multiple sustainability goals into one project, and the progress of the project to date regarding ecosystem, community, & academic aspects. They will invite attendees to ask questions and to reflect on possibilities at other institutions.