The University of Washington's Energy Renewal Plan (ERP) provides a framework for a phased decarbonization of UW’s campus utility and energy infrastructure, with the goal of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
On June 30, 2025, the UW submitted an initial Seattle Campus Decarbonization Plan to the Washington Department of Commerce.
At the core of the plan to decarbonize the power plant is a technological evolution that allows us to change the way we heat buildings on the campus. Presently, UW heats its buildings the same way most University campuses do, and that’s by combusting natural gas in boilers to make steam and then distribute the steam out to the campus buildings where it is transferred to each building’s heating system. Moving forward, UW will no longer combust natural gas for heating but rather will use electrically driven heat pumps to move energy from various sources to heat the buildings.
Learn more about the UW's Energy Renewal Plan and read the full documents below.
The ERP documents
Introduction
The Energy Renewal Plan Introduction provides context for the ERP: the scale and complexity of UW's district energy system, the rationale for the transformation, and an orientation to how the subsequent documents fit together.
Energy Renewal Plan Introduction (pdf) (800 KB)
Part 1: Baseline Assessment
The baseline assessment is a detailed analysis of UW's existing energy infrastructure and campus load characteristics, including current equipment condition, energy demand patterns, and engineering concepts and options explored during planning. This document establishes the factual foundation that all subsequent project decisions are based on.
UW ERP Phase 1 - Baseline Assessment (pdf) (8.1 MB)
Part 2: Project identification
These documents give detailed descriptions of the individual projects required to execute the transformation - from heat recovery systems and hot water distribution networks to building conversions and electrical infrastructure upgrades - along with priorities for sequencing the work.
UW ERP Phase 2 - Project Identification (pdf) (8.9 MB)
UW ERP Phase 2 - Appendices (pdf) (18.7 MB)
Part 3: Implementation
The Implementation Plan documents the implementation pathway: project sequencing under multiple funding scenarios, phasing strategies driven by infrastructure constraints (such as tunnel reuse and permitting timelines), and funding and debt pathways.