ABOUT THE ENERGY TASK FORCE 
VISION & MISSION
The UNH Energy Task Force shall serve in an advisory capacity to the UNH President and shall be responsible for making recommendations on the full range of issues that relate to energy use, including generation, demand management, efficiency, conservation, greenhouse gas mitigation policy and action, and participation in markets related to energy and carbon. Recommendations will be formulated taking into account the teaching, research, and public service missions of the University and its long-range Master Plan, UNH’s signing of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (PCC), and the energy needs of faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors. The overarching goal of the ETF is to guide the University toward a systemic and integrated energy policy that emphasizes health and integrity, climate protection and carbon neutrality, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and stability, fairness for all University constituents, consistency with priorities set by the Strategic Academic Plan and the Master Plan, and focused on both the supply and demand characteristics of energy use.
BACKGROUND
As a Climate Protection Campus, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is committed to reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases, improving energy efficiency and conservation, and educating students, faculty, and staff about the relationship between energy choices and costs, climate change, and our economic and social well-being. UNH meets these commitments through its Climate Education Initiative (CEI), which is actively engaging the University community in climate change education and emissions reduction efforts across the CORE (curriculum, operations, research, and engagement) of the University’s functions. Emissions reductions and subsequent improvements in air quality are complemented by related integrative research, interdisciplinary curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and broad-based engagement and outreach programs that educate students, faculty, administrators, staff, and the larger community about the relationships among energy choices, climate, and economic and social well-being.
In the fall of 2005, then UNH President Ann Weaver Hart announced the formation of the UNH Energy Task Force (ETF) – the primarily operations-focused component of CEI. Chaired by the Vice President for Research and coordinated by the UNH University Office of Sustainability (UOS) and the UNH Energy Office, the ETF has faculty, administrative, staff, and both undergraduate and graduate student members from a wide variety of departments and offices across campus. In February of 2007, Interim President J. Bonnie Newman signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (PCC) pledging to take immediate actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to develop a plan to move the University towards carbon neutrality as soon as possible. Through the guiding framework of CEI, the ETF is charged with taking the actions necessary to implement the PCC.
In particular, the ETF is charged with:
- Developing timelines, targets, and action items under a UNH Climate Action Plan -- called WildCAP -- to help UNH meet the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and its stated goal of moving towards carbon neutrality.
- Developing immediate and future actions to reduce energy costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy conservation through technological improvements, increases in efficiency, reductions in waste, and selection of fuels at the Durham campus.
- Inventorying and promoting curricular, research, and engagement/outreach programs intended to increase awareness of and behaviors around energy use, efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change.
Membership
The Energy Task Force is comprised of a wide variety of faculty, staff, and students
- CHAIR: Taylor Eighmy, Interim Vice President for Research
- FACULTY: John Aber, Natural Resources; Kevin Gardner, Environmental Research Group; Fil Glanz, Faculty Emeritus in Electrical Engineering; Jenna Jambeck, Environmental Research Group; Stacy VanDeveer, Political Science; P.T. Vasudevan, Chemical Engineering; Cameron Wake, Climate Change Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space
- STAFF: Paul Chamberlin, Assistant Vice President for Energy & Campus Development; Sara Cleaves, University Office of Sustainability; David Gillum, Environmental Health & Safety; Bill Hurd, Computer & Information Services; Tom Kelly, UNH Chief Sustainability Officer, University Office of Sustainability; Carolyn Kirkpatrick, Media Relations and OS Council Rep; Matt O’Keefe, Energy Office; Brett Pasinella, University Office of Sustainability; Steve Pesci, Campus Planning; Jahnay Pickett, Office of Sponsored Research and PAT Council Rep; Beth Potier, Media Relations; Anthony Zizos, Assistant Vice President for Business Affairs
- STUDENTS: at least 2 Graduate Students and 2 Undergraduate Students
Subcommittees
Subcommittees - on which other faculty, staff, and students who are not involved in regular ETF work often participate - are formed as needed to address issues deemed important by the ETF and to lead certain initiatives:
- Clean Fleet/Transportation
- Communications
- Curriculum & Research
- Greenhouse Gas Inventory
- Landfill Gas Methane Pipepline Project
- Powerdown
- Purchasing
- Student Energy Waste Watch Challenge
- Sustainable Buildings
- Waste Management/Recycling
Through UNH's Climate Education Initiative, we also integrate our work with that of other groups and initiatives on campus, such as the Transportation Policy Committee and the UNH Discovery Program.