From Ohio to Iowa to Idaho New University Partnerships Bolster Finances and Sustainability
November 04, 2020
This story was written by Allan Marks and published in Forbes on Nov. 3, 2020.
Colleges and universities are turning to public-private partnerships (P3s) to upgrade campus energy systems, bolstering schools’ financial and environmental resilience. Higher education institutions face pressures to stabilize budgets, boost endowments, and optimize facilities usage. Many public universities also face shrinking state financial support, aging infrastructure, and projected declines in enrollment due to changing demographics. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges. In response, some universities are trying creative ways to unlock the value embedded in their existing utility systems and enlisting private partners to make their physical operations and energy use more sustainable and efficient. The latest public university to embrace this emerging P3 trend is the University of Idaho, which on November 2, 2020 announced a 50-year concession with a private company to take over the university’s centralized district energy system. Read more.
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to nearly 11,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu