Exterior furnishing and interior development remain well underway on the new first year dorm located between Coffrin Hall and BiHall, situated on the northern end of Battell Beach. The new dorm is set to replace Battell Hall, which will be torn down and replaced by an updated college art museum and multipurpose learning space in the coming years.
From Facilities Services to Environmental Affairs at Franklin Environmental Center to the architects designing our new buildings, people across campus have been working toward energy conservation. This behind the scenes work is one of the four core pillars of Energy 2028, Middlebury’s sustainability initiative. Among other goals, the college is seeking a 25% reduction in energy usage on the core campus by 2028 and 100% renewable energy sourcing by 2028.
Middlebury’s new plan builds on a history of thinking holistically about sustainability. In 2007, then-President Ron Liebowitz signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, and the campus achieved carbon neutrality within ten years - a story shared in . The college has won for its integrated approach to sustainability, including campus operations and curriculum. The new integrated plan also includes ambitious targets for using the college endowment’s investment strategy to fight climate change.
Middlebury College recently began construction on a 298-bed, 87,000-sq.-ft. residence hall to house first-year students starting in fall 2025, following a groundbreaking ceremony June 26 at the Vermont campus.
Four years ago Middlebury launched the Energy2028 initiative to address the growing threat of climate change. One of the major goals presented in the project was to reduce energy consumption by 25%, and, as of last year, the college had decreased usage by 10%.
Now, the college seeks to further reduce consumption by continuing to refit new LED lights around campus, starting with Bicentennial Hall (BiHall). This new project is expected to begin on May 24 with a planned completion date of Aug. 18.
Middlebury College announced a commitment to power its core Vermont campus with 100% renewable energy by 2028. The College also set ambitious goals to reduce energy consumption, to phase out direct fossil-fuel investments in its endowment, and to create new educational programs and opportunities that will help empower future generations of environmental leaders.