Dear Campus Community,
Rice University has been dispatched by CenterPoint Energy to reduce electricity consumption on our campus today, August 8, 2023, beginning at 1 p.m. Rice is a partner along with many other institutions and businesses in energy load-sharing programs led by CenterPoint Energy and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to reduce the risk of area-wide electricity disruptions during the summer months.
How can you help? Each of you will have different ways that you can reduce campus energy consumption during this event, such as:
- Turning off non-essential lights in offices, conference rooms, and break rooms
- Turning off equipment and appliances that do not need to be operational during the event
- Closing sashes on laboratory fume hoods
- Ensuring all operable windows and exterior doors to your building are closed; and
- Closing window blinds and shades reduces the build-up of heat from the sun inside your building.
Air conditioning may be set back briefly in areas not designated as research or laboratory space. Off-campus facilities such as the Rice Children’s Campus, the Library Service Center, the Primary Data Center, and Graduate Housing will be unaffected.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this event. Please contact Eric Valentine (energy@rice.edu or 713-348-5432) with any additional questions or concerns about this event.
Thank you.
The Office of Sustainability