Scope 1 & 2 Emissions
Reducing emissions from campus energy and operations
CU Boulder has committed to reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions 50% from a 2019 baseline by 2030, followed by continued reductions to zero emissions no later than 2050.
The Climate Action Plan calls for meeting these goals through direct emissions reductions rather than purchased carbon offsets or unbundled Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Achieving them will require continued improvements in building efficiency, cleaner electricity, renewable energy, fleet electrification and, ultimately, the transformation of the campus heating system.
Our Scope 1 & 2 Goals*
*No purchased offsets or unbundled RECs to meet the goal
Where Our Emissions Come From
Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions come primarily from the energy and fuels used to heat, power and operate CU Boulder’s campus.
Scope 1 | Direct Emissions
Scope 1 emissions come from fuels and other sources that CU Boulder owns or directly controls. The university’s largest Scope 1 source is natural gas, which produced 44,184 MTCO₂e in 2025. On Main Campus, heating and thermal energy are provided through the West and East District Energy Plants, including a combined heat and power system at the West plant that also generates electricity. Facilities outside the district energy system, including East Campus and Williams Village, use gas-fired boilers for heating. Scope 1 emissions also include fuel used in university-owned fleet vehicles and fugitive emissions such as refrigerants released from building systems.
Scope 2 | Purchased Electricity
Scope 2 emissions come from the electricity CU Boulder purchases to power campus operations, including buildings, research facilities and equipment. Most electricity is supplied by Xcel Energy, with additional generation from on-campus and solar resources. Because these emissions occur at the power plants that generate purchased electricity, CU Boulder’s Scope 2 footprint is directly influenced by Xcel Energy’s energy mix. As the grid becomes cleaner, emissions continue to decline. In 2025, Xcel Energy reported that 52% of its electricity came from renewable sources, and CU Boulder is supporting further reductions through participation in Xcel Energy’s Virtual Net Metering program, including a 5-megawatt off-site solar project in Weld County.
Our Progress
CU Boulder reduced combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from 128,054 MTCO₂e in 2019 to 100,507 MTCO₂e in 2025 — a 22% reduction from the baseline.
In 2025:
- 46,026 MTCO₂e Scope 1 emissions
- 54,480 MTCO₂e Scope 2 emissions
- 22% Reduction in combined Scope 1 & 2 emissions since 2019
[Scope 1 & 2 historical emissions - graph coming soon]
Electricity emissions have declined as the regional electric grid has become cleaner, while reductions in natural gas use and other direct emissions will require additional changes to campus buildings, heating systems and vehicles.
[Explore Scope 1 & 2 Data: dashboards coming soon]
The Path to 2030
CU Boulder’s near-term Scope 1 and Scope 2 strategy combines several approaches:
Improve efficiency in existing buildings and limit energy demand as campus grows.
Reducing energy demand is a key step in campus decarbonization. Lower energy use cuts greenhouse gas emissions today and reduces the need for new energy infrastructure as campus systems transition. CU Boulder is decreasing building energy use through renovations, efficiency projects, building controls and standards for new construction. As campus growth increases demand for heating and electricity, high-performance buildings and efficiency improvements across existing facilities are essential to meeting climate goals.
[Explore Building Energy & Performance dashboard - link coming soon]
Increase on-site and off-site solar while benefiting from continued decarbonization of the regional electric grid.
Reducing Scope 2 emissions depends on both changes to the regional electricity supply and actions CU Boulder can take directly.
A Cleaner Electric Grid
The electricity serving CU Boulder is becoming less carbon-intensive as Xcel Energy increases renewable generation and retires higher-emitting sources. Xcel reported a 52% renewable electricity mix in 2025, and further grid decarbonization is expected to continue reducing the emissions associated with electricity purchased by the university.
Grid decarbonization is an important part of CU Boulder’s pathway, but it is not the university’s only strategy.
Expanding Solar
CU Boulder continues to increase the amount of solar electricity supporting campus operations.
The new 1.1-megawatt East Campus solar array increased on-campus solar capacity to approximately 3.5 megawatts.
A separate 5-megawatt off-site solar project in Weld County will further expand renewable electricity supporting campus operations. Together, existing and new solar projects are expected to bring total solar capacity supporting CU Boulder to approximately 8.5 megawatts, equivalent to roughly 8.5% of campus electricity use.
Transition buses, service vehicles and other fleet equipment away from fossil fuels.
Fuel used by university-owned buses, trucks and other vehicles contributes to Scope 1 emissions.
CU Boulder operates more than 500 fleet vehicles, although a relatively small number of high-use vehicles—including buses, trash trucks and distribution vehicles—account for much of campus fleet fuel consumption.
The university is prioritizing these high-use vehicles as it transitions the fleet toward electric alternatives. Current efforts include:
- Expanding the electric Buff Bus fleet
- Introducing electric refuse vehicles
- Increasing fleet EV charging, including fast charging
- Developing an EV purchasing approach for other university fleet vehicles
Electrifying high-use vehicles provides a direct opportunity to reduce fossil fuel consumption while taking advantage of an increasingly cleaner electric grid.
Transition buildings and campus districts from steam toward lower-temperature hot-water systems and increase opportunities for heat recovery.
Decarbonizing Campus Heating
Natural gas for heating is CU Boulder’s largest source of Scope 1 emissions and will account for a growing share of remaining operational emissions as electricity becomes cleaner. Because much of campus relies on natural gas-fired steam for heating, achieving deeper emissions reductions will require transforming campus heating systems. CU Boulder is developing a campus decarbonization strategy to guide this transition while maintaining reliable and resilient energy systems.
Modernizing District Energy
A key part of campus decarbonization is transitioning buildings and district energy systems from steam to lower-temperature hot water, which is more efficient and can support technologies such as heat recovery, heat pumps and geothermal energy. Planning scenarios include converting Williams Village and East Campus to hot-water and heat-recovery systems to reduce natural gas use. As heating systems and vehicles electrify, campus electricity use may increase even as overall greenhouse gas emissions decline.
Evaluate geothermal and other low-carbon thermal technologies capable of displacing natural gas used for campus heating.
Evaluating Geothermal Energy
CU Boulder is evaluating shallow and deep geothermal technologies as potential low-carbon heating sources. Feasibility studies supported by the Colorado Energy Office found both approaches are technically viable for campus use. The studies are helping assess costs, infrastructure needs, emissions reductions and implementation pathways, but no decision has been made to move forward with either option.
Tracking Progress
CU Boulder updates its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions inventory annually to measure progress and evaluate how changes in energy use, electricity generation, renewable energy, campus growth and infrastructure projects affect the university’s pathway.
Current planning scenarios show that grid decarbonization, solar, fleet electrification and planned district-energy projects can produce substantial additional reductions over the next several years. These projections depend on assumptions about electricity emissions factors, campus growth, energy use, project schedules and implementation and will continue to be updated as conditions change.
[Explore Scope 1 & 2 Dashboard (link coming soon)]