Dive Brief:

• Five colleges in Virginia are moving to methane gas as an electricity source.
• The schools have formed a partnership with a landfill gas energy operator, Ingenco. The institutions joined forces on the project, which will help them save money and reduce their carbon footprints.
• The electricity will be sourced from landfill gas collected throughout the state and sold to the Tennessee Valley Authority. Ingenco is working on introducing a facility at a Bristol, Va., landfill site.

Dive Insight:

Colleges participating in the conversion include Emory & Henry College, Hollins University, Lynchburg College, Randolph College, and Sweet Briar College.

The change is expected to save Emory & Henry College in particular around $500,000 to $1 million throughout the duration of the contract. The partnership with the gas company may cut the schools' carbon footprint in half.