Colorado State University (CSU) announced a 20-year partnership to develop a new solar energy project that significantly advances progress toward the university’s sustainability goals.

The university will partner with Pivot Energy, a national renewable energy independent power producer, to build a ground-mounted solar project in Weld County, Colorado.

The 5.75 megawatts of electricity produced will be transmitted directly to the Xcel Energy electric grid, which serves much of Colorado. All of the renewable energy credits will be transferred to CSU without increasing its electricity costs.

CSU’s sustainability goal is to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030.

The university is taking advantage of virtual net metering, an innovative program made possible by Colorado Senate Bill 21-261, which passed in 2021 and enables organizations to benefit from energy produced by offsite solar installations. Under the 20-year subscription agreement, CSU will use renewable electricity generated by the virtual net-metering solar project that Pivot will develop, construct, own and operate, without needing to install solar onsite.

“We are very excited to announce this agreement with Pivot Energy, as it significantly advances CSU toward our goals of utilizing 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040,” said Campus Energy Coordinator Stacey Baumgarn in a statement. “When this project is completed and begins delivering renewable electricity, CSU will be 11 million kilowatt hours a year closer to our 100% renewable electricity goal, at no net cost to the university.”

Construction on the solar project is expected to begin next winter and be completed during the fourth quarter of 2026. Once operational, the project will eliminate nearly 7,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide.