University of North Dakota cuts annual carbon emissions by 38,000 metric tons

University of North Dakota

Modernizing campus operations for a more efficient future

The University of North Dakota sought to replace an aging coal-fired steam plant, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy security, and address deferred maintenance across its campus. Through a long-term public-private partnership with Johnson Controls, the university modernized its energy infrastructure, improved operational performance, and advanced its sustainability goals.

Impact Highlights

38,000 metric tons of CO₂ reduced annually

6% energy savings against the baseline

8% operations and maintenance savings

Addressing aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance

The University of North Dakota needed to replace a coal-fired steam plant that had served the campus for more than a century and was nearing the end of its useful life. University leaders sought to address growing deferred maintenance concerns, improve energy security and reliability for campus operations, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the university wanted to avoid the significant upfront capital investment typically required for a major infrastructure replacement project.

A long-term partnership to modernize critical infrastructure

The University of North Dakota partnered with Johnson Controls through a 40- year public-private partnership to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a new natural gas-fired central steam plant. The agreement transferred design, construction, operational and performance risk while helping the university modernize critical infrastructure without relying on a traditional capital funding approach.

The project included a new central steam plant, steam distribution upgrades, HVAC and controls improvements, lighting upgrades, chiller and heat pump replacements, laboratory controls retrofits and other campus energy infrastructure enhancements. The new plant was relocated from the center of campus to a less visible location, improving the appearance of the campus and the student experience.

Delivering measurable environmental and operational gains

The infrastructure modernization project helped the University of North Dakota improve sustainability, reliability and long-term operational performance across campus. By replacing a century-old coal-fired steam plant with a modern natural gas-fired facility, the university reduced its environmental impact while improving energy efficiency and reliability.

Key outcomes include:

38,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions reduced annually
3,200 metric tons of coal ash waste eliminated annually
6% energy savings compared to baseline performance
8% operations and maintenance savings

The project also delivered measurable operational benefits. The central steam plant is projected to generate $1.547 million in annual utility savings and has exceeded performance expectations, operating at 70.2% efficiency compared to the guaranteed target of 66.1%. Johnson Controls continues to provide 24/7 steam service, with no performance penalties incurred to date.

About the University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota is North Dakota's oldest and largest research university, serving more than 14,000 students across approximately 200 campus buildings totaling 6.5 million square feet.

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About the facility

6.5 million square feet campus
200 campus buildings
More than 14,000 students

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University of North Dakota transforms campus energy infrastructure to improve sustainability and reliability