NAU burns natural gas on campus to heat classrooms, dorms, and office and research buildings, and to cool some of them, too, during the summer. Just like burning oil or gas off campus to produce electricity, burning it on campus to harvest the heat it contains produces greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide as a direct product of combustion, methane because of leaks (natural gas is another way to say methane), and nitrous oxide because the energy released during combustion oxidizes nitrogen in the atmosphere. Since 1990, burning natural gas amounts to about 40% of NAU’s greenhouse gas footprint. 

Mitigation: There are many ways to reduce our use of natural gas. Adjusting thermostats is probably the simplest, and may be an important component of our final plan. Upgrading inefficient heating systems and improving insulation are other important possibilities we’re assessing. Co-generation of electricity and heat on campus – especially if fueled by a biomass plant – could simultaneously provide green electricity and heat for the campus.