Case Study: U.S. Coast Guard Academy achieves 48% energy reduction and $2M annual savings with Ameresco

Utility Energy Services Contract (UESC) to Reduce the Academy’s Energy Consumption by 48%

The United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT faced an aging, oil-fired energy infrastructure across its 85-year-old campus, high energy and water use, and a need to improve resiliency and cut operating costs. Ameresco, working under a Utility Energy Services Contract (UESC) in partnership with Eversource, was engaged to modernize the Academy’s systems with measures including a high-efficiency natural gas plant, on-site generation, a CHP system, expanded chillers, rooftop solar, lighting upgrades and water conservation measures.

Ameresco designed and implemented the $39 million UESC project that replaced the oil-fired boiler plant and installed a 1 MW CHP micro-turbine, rooftop solar arrays, an expanded central chiller plant and numerous efficiency upgrades. The project—funded through energy cost savings—reduced overall energy consumption by 48%, cut water use by 15%, lowered grid electricity imports by nearly 80%, delivered more than $2 million in annual energy cost savings, and reduced carbon emissions by about 7,800 metric tons per year, while significantly improving campus energy resiliency.

United States Coast Guard Academy

Melvin Bouboulis

Chief Engineer