Brown University is the sole off-taker for the Dry Bridge solar project in North Kingstown, a landmark renewable energy development generating enough power to offset about two-thirds of campus electricity use.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - With final regulatory approval secured on Tuesday, Nov. 19, one of the largest solar energy projects in Rhode Island - Dry Bridge, in North Kingstown - is generating enough power to offset two-thirds of on-campus electricity consumption for Brown University, the project's exclusive off-taker.
Located on a 240-acre field at the site of a former gravel pit, Dry Bridge is among the state's highest-capacity contiguous solar generation projects, on track to generate 66.8 million kilowatt hours of power per year.
The culmination of the project, to which Brown committed in 2018, marks a key milestone in the University's commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. As it continues an ongoing transition from fossil fuels, Brown will now draw the majority of on-campus electricity use from local renewable energy, ensuring that the University serves as a leader for climate solutions and decarbonization.
"Dry Bridge is a transformative milestone for clean energy in the region and signals a significant step toward Brown's net-zero goals," Brown President Christina H. Paxson said. "The project underscores the need to ensure the University does all it can - through our physical plant and our leading-edge environmental research and scholarship - to contribute to global efforts to seek climate solutions and combat the threats posed by climate change."
With the Nov. 19 completion of an operator study by ISO New England, the regional organization that oversees New England's electric power system and transmission lines, Brown will obtain and retire project-specific renewable energy credits through Dry Bridge - essentially proof-of-ownership certificates that establish the University's right to claim the renewable energy as its own. Dry Bridge is owned and operated by MN8 Energy.
