Dickinson College Strengthens Carbon-Neutral Commitment Through New Solar Energy Partnership
Dickinson College's solar array. Photo by Carl Socolow '77.
150-megawatt solar facility in Kentucky is supported by consortium of colleges and universities
by Craig Layne
Dickinson is furthering its longstanding leadership in sustainability through a new, large-scale solar energy partnership that will bolster the college's carbon-neutral status while supporting the expansion of renewable energy in the United States.
Dickinson is part of a consortium of nine colleges and universities supporting the newly operational Sebree Solar II Energy Center, a 150-megawatt solar facility in Henderson County, Kentucky. Developed by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources and coordinated through ERM Coho, the project came online on Aug. 7, 2026.
For Dickinson, participation in the project represents another significant step in a sustainability journey that began decades ago and saw the college achieve its milestone goal of carbon neutrality in 2020, becoming one of the first colleges in the nation to do so. Since then, Dickinson has continued to invest in innovative strategies that reduce its environmental impact while creating hands-on learning opportunities for students.
Through a power purchase agreement associated with the Sebree Solar II project, Dickinson will receive renewable energy credits equivalent to approximately 65% of the college's annual electricity use. Those credits help account for greenhouse-gas emissions associated with purchased electricity. Combined with renewable energy credits from a separate power purchase agreement launched in 2020 and Dickinson’s own solar array, the college can offset 100% of its purchased electricity, helping maintain its carbon-neutral status.
"This innovative power purchase agreement helps us continue to move forward on our goals of advancing solar energy for Dickinson and for others," says Lindsey Lyons, executive director of Dickinson's Center for Sustainability Education. "The educational benefits of power purchase agreements provide unique learning opportunities to model to our students and faculty how win-win solutions can be created that benefit both the planet and the economic systems we depend on as an institution. We are grateful to work alongside these other institutions to advance this work in solar energy and higher education."
The consortium includes Davidson College, Elon University, Haverford College, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, Swarthmore College and Wake Forest University. By collectively supporting the development of new renewable-energy capacity, the institutions are helping accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources while demonstrating the impact that higher education can have through collaborative action.
Although the electricity generated in Kentucky cannot be delivered directly to Dickinson's campus in Carlisle because of transmission-grid limitations and geographic distance, the project creates new renewable-energy generation on the electric grid and provides the environmental attributes needed to support the college's climate goals.
The Sebree Solar II Energy Center is expected to generate enough electricity annually to power more than 20,000 homes and contribute more than $15.5 million in tax revenue over the life of the project, supporting local infrastructure, schools and community services in Henderson County.
Dickinson's participation reflects the college's enduring commitment to sustainability, one of its defining institutional priorities. From achieving carbon neutrality to creating innovative academic and operational sustainability initiatives, Dickinson continues to demonstrate how institutions of higher education can help address global environmental challenges while preparing students to lead in a rapidly changing world.
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Published November 3, 2026