Stanford, Cornell release ambitious green plans for NYC campus

Roosevelt IslandIn the battle to win the city’s favor, and the $100 million it promises for a new science graduate school on Roosevelt Island, Cornell and Stanford have released plans for their buildings that go far above and beyond the environmental standards set by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

According to the New York Times, the Cornell plan calls for four acres of solar panels, 500 geothermal wells, and two major buildings that would consume no more energy than they produce. Additionally, on hot days the building would actually generate additional power and feed it into the grid. Stanford’s plan, though less specific than the one released by Cornell, calls for minimal energy use, solar and geothermal power, and the creation of advanced marshes to filter water from storm runoffs, sinks and toilets.

Both schools also plan to explore experimental environmental technology, including using the East River for heat exchange. But officials from other universities vying to build on Roosevelt Island said the ambitious plans put forth by Stanford and Cornell are extremely expensive and could easily be scaled down. They were likely released to drum up public interest and public goodwill for the schools’ proposals. [NYT]