Wesleyan is an “Oasis of Electricity” With Microgrid

Government Technology featured Wesleyan’s efforts to protect itself from losing power during storms and other disasters by installing a microgrid, a concept gaining popularity across the country. As the article explains:

Wesleyan can insulate itself from widespread power outages by generating its own power and making sure it can distribute that electricity to the 312 buildings on campus without depending on the outside grid. As an oasis of electricity, the college can now better serve its students and act as a staging area to coordinate disaster response for Middletown.

[…] “When we talk about microgrids, it’s a wicked hot topic. It’s going to be in the dictionary next year as a new word, like ‘Twitter,'” said Alan Rubacha, director of Wesleyan University’s physical plant. “But it’s existed for a long time.”