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IDEA’s 38th Annual CampusEnergy Conference Features College and University Energy Experts from Across the Country and a New Student Program 

BOSTON, December 5, 2024 - The International District Energy Association (IDEA) announced that it will be holding its 38th annual CampusEnergy conference from Monday, February 3rd to Thursday, February 6th. The conference returns to Boston this year and will be held at the Westin Boston Seaport District hotel, along Boston’s waterfront. The annual conference, which was first held in 1987, is expected to attract more than 1,200 attendees, including a contingent of students for a special student session – a CampusEnergy first.

Accelerating the Energy Transition

This year, CampusEnergy is organized under the theme “Accelerating the Energy Transition,” and through an extensive technical program, panel discussions, workshops and an all-new student program, attendees will have unparalleled opportunities to learn from industry experts, discover cutting-edge technologies and connect with colleagues from energy and sustainability  departments from  campuses across North America, along with over 140 exhibitors showcasing technologies and services. 

“The impact colleges and universities have on shaping young minds, helping to create the leaders and great thinkers of the future, and advancing cutting-edge research are well known, but what is perhaps less well known about these institutions is their innovation and leadership on advancing and accelerating the energy transition,” said Rob Thornton, President & CEO of IDEA. “We are proud to be able to highlight the great work these teams are doing across the country, and really, around the world, and give these often-unsung heroes of campus energy systems a place to come together, share their achievements and learnings, and be recognized by their peers.”

Conference Opening & Plenary Panel

Two pre-conference workshops and the opening reception will be held on Monday February 3rd. On Tuesday, February 4th, the main conference kicks off with the formal conference opening, welcome remarks from Joan Kowal, IDEA Chair, and  representatives for organizations that are hosting this year’s conference – Dano Weisbord of Tufts University and Joe Collins of UMASS Chan Medical School.

The opening plenary panel discussion will follow, and panelists for the discussion include Bert Bland, Associate Vice President, Energy & Sustainability, Cornell University; Jennifer Meisenhelder, Associate Director of Construction, Planning and Design, University of Florida; Jessica Prata, Assistant Vice President, Office of Sustainability, Columbia University; Rob Roman, Director, Utilities & Energy Services, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Dano Weisbord, Chief Sustainability Officer, Executive Director Campus Planning, Tufts University; David Woodson, Executive Director Campus Energy, Utilities & Operations, University of Washington. Thornton will moderate the panel.

The conference wraps up on Thursday, February 6th with technical tours of district energy systems at Tufts University, Vicinity’s Kendall Station, and UMASS Chan Medical campus.

New This Year: Student Session & Thermal Energy Networks Workshop

This year’s CampusEnergy features two new additions – a student program and a post-conference workshop on thermal energy networks (TENs). To better serve the entire campus ecosystem, this year, IDEA is offering a unique, free opportunity for students to learn more about district energy and explore career opportunities across the industry. A recent survey found that Gen Z wants to know that the work they do matters, and that they overwhelmingly agree that working in clean energy would be a good career path. And, according to the 2023 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) Workforce Needs Assessment, the Commonwealth needs to increase its clean energy workforce by nearly 30,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs by 2030 to achieve its decarbonization goals, which more than 38,000 additional trained workers – a growth rate of nearly 37%.

The Student Session will tap into those wishes, values and needs - increasing awareness of district energy as a personal and professional pathway to a mission-centered career by helping students connect with people with real-world experience in district energy enables them to share ideas and ambitions with prospective employers.

“I have adopted diversity as my theme for my year-long term as IDEA Chair, and, to me, part of being true to that theme means welcoming people of all abilities, ages and experiences into our industry,” said Kowal. “I can think of no better way to honor our commitment to diversity than engaging with students and making sure the next generation can continue to move district energy forward in a way that enables this massive transition we are currently undergoing, while also continuing to provide resilient and reliable heating, cooling and power.”

The post-conference workshop on TENs will explore how to develop and stand-up a community-scale thermal energy network system as a private, public or hybrid business entity. It will have a particular focus on business models for financially sustainable thermal energy networks.

About IDEA 
The International District Energy Association (IDEA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit industry association founded in the United States in 1909. IDEA now has a membership of nearly 3,000 industry professionals representing 30 countries around the world. IDEA’s mission is to actively foster the success of its members as leaders in providing reliable, economical, efficient and environmentally-sound district heating, district cooling and combined heat and power to optimize energy efficiency, emissions reductions and sustainable solutions for mission-critical and community-scale markets.