Sustainability Office

Decarbonization & Electrification Planning

Accelerating the path to decarbonizing UC campus energy infrastructure is the largest remaining challenge to achieving the UC’s Climate Leadership Goals.

UC President Drake

The Bigger Picture

In 2022, UC President Michael Drake announced his priorities which called for climate action and leadership to span all aspects of UC’s mission.

Specifically related to UCSC’s D&E effort, he called for each UC to: Set a sunset date on each location’s operation of combined heat and power plants, establish more aggressive transportation goals (e.g., discontinuing the purchase of new fossil fuel vehicles by 2025), and set reduction goals for our supply-chain purchases, food, water, waste and construction emissions. 

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Your partnership, comments and suggestions are essential to implementing this plan. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the D&E plan or implementation process, please submit your thoughts here.

View Committee Participants
  • UCSC’s Decarbonization & Electrification Task Force (Oct. 2022 – Jul. 2023)
  • Tony Cobb, associate vice chancellor, PPDO, co-chair
  • Elida Erickson, sustainability director, co-chair
  • Christina Armstrong, special advisor and director of strategic initiatives, Chancellor Office
  • Teresa Buika, contracts and grants writer, Real Estate & Contract Services
  • Phil Boutelle, engineering services and project manager, PPDO
  • Mike Cabak, electrical engineer, Design and Construction Services, PPDO
  • Jeff Clothier, superintendent, Mechanical + Building Management Systems, PPDO
  • Keith Corzine, professor, Computer and Electrical Engineering
  • Ian Cowan, student representative, UCSC Climate Coalition
  • Veronica Forrette, special projects coordinator, CP/EVC Office
  • Jen Hale, director, PPDO Business Services and Advisor to the AVC PPDO
  • Michael Hanson, director, Physical Plant, PPDO
  • Steve Houser, director, Capital Planning and Employee Housing, CHES
  • Jolie Kerns, campus planner, PPDO
  • Biju Kamaleswaran, associate vice chancellor/campus controller
  • Troy Lawson, executive advisor, Office of Budget and Planning
  • T. “Mai”, student representative, UCSC Climate Coalition
  • Susan Monroe, executive assistant to AVC PPDO
  • Ann Pham, assistant executive vice chancellor/chief of staff, CP/EVC office 
  • Gary Riggs, superintendent, Cogeneration + Electrical, PPDO
  • Jason Samaha, assistant professor, PsychologyDepartment & UCSC Climate Coalition representative
  • Randolph Skrovan, facilities manager, Institute of Marine Sciences
  • Karen Smith, director, Capital Planning and Space Management, PPDO
  • Clement Stokes, associate vice chancellor, Risk & Safety Services
  • Patrick Testoni, energy director, PPDO
  • Ellen Vaughan, water and climate action manager, Sustainability Office
D&E Technical subcommittee
  • Phil Boutelle, engineering services and project manager, PPDO, co-chair
  • Ellen Vaughan, water and climate action manager, Sustainability Office, co-chair
  • Christina Armstrong, special advisor and director of strategic initiatives, Chancellor Office
  • Anthony Brunetti, cogen supervisor, PPDO
  • Mike Cabak, electrical engineer, PPDO
  • Jeff Clothier, senior superintendent,. HVAC/Plumbing/BMS, PPDO
  • Tony Cobb, associate vice chancellor, PPDO
  • Matt DeMonner, senior mechanical engineer, PPDO
  • Mike Dolder, manager of Work Management, PPDO
  • Marc Douvia, associate director, Building Utility & Fleet Services
  • Edwin Dunn, director of facilities, CHES
  • Elida Erickson, sustainability director
  • Michael Hanson, director, Physical Plant, PPDO
  • Susan Monroe, executive advisor to AVC PPDO
  • Chris Parker, manager, Physical & Biological Sciences Division – Facilities
  • Gary Riggs, superintendent, Cogeneration + Electrical, PPDO
  • Patrick Testoni, energy director, PPDO

UC Santa Cruz is now embarking on the next phase toward the full decarbonization and electrification of the campus. In August of 2022 Chancellor Cynthia Larive charged a decarbonization and electrification (D&E) task force with developing a long term plan to meet the UC Office of the President’s fossil free goals.

In 2023, the task force completed the Pre-design Final Report and here in Spanish: resumen ejecutivo DyE (en español). Read the report’s press release for an overview of the work completed.

The Task Force would like to thank all the members of the subcommittees who helped bring this plan together and who are actively working on its implementation. Additional subcommittees: Technical, Funding, Outreach, and Just Transition & Equity.

UCSC has finished a Just Transition and Equity Analysis of this process, read their final report.

Resources

Looking to learn more about decarbonization and electrification? See these recommended reading, watching, and listening resources:

Last modified: Oct 09, 2025