Cora Panturad, a student of environmental policy and sustainability management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, was recently honored as a “Clean Energy Hero” by Central Coast Community Energy, a public agency that buys renewable power for Monterey County and its neighbors.
Panturad and two other MIIS students earned the award for their academic research on developing climate-friendly housing in Monterey. The achievement is highlighted in a post on MIIS’ website, which quotes Panturad as saying, “Every time there is a new construction or retrofit and you don’t do electrification or water reclamation, it is a lost opportunity.”
It’s ironic MIIS is touting his green credentials considering that a campaign organized by Panturad accuses MIIS of compromising on sustainability. At issue is the redevelopment of 787 Munras Ave. in Monterey, a former office building that MIIS is turning into a dorm for up to 89 students.
The Net-Zero Student Housing Campaign is calling on MIIS to remove the gas-powered components from the building plans and commit to an all-electric project. A petition Panturad helped put together has garnered faculty support and nearly 200 signatures.
“We were able to collaborate with the administration to get solar panels on the roof and electric vehicle charging,” Panturad says. “But it’s more energy-efficient to ignore these flashy bells and whistles and just get rid of natural gas. It’s like saying we are getting a Tesla but we have a mini coal plant powering it.”
It should hardly come as a surprise that students are voicing opinions on the real-world project. Their advocacy and analysis are precisely the type of actions MIIS is training them in.
In a statement, a MIIS spokesperson said the building’s underlying infrastructure precludes going all-electric and that gas will be needed to power clothes dryers and hot water heaters. “Sustainability has been at the forefront of the project’s design, starting with the decision to repurpose an existing building within walking distance of campus,” the statement reads. “We explored the option of full electrification but determined that we could not entirely meet the projected electrical demands for an 89-student residential facility due to the building’s existing infrastructure and complications with the limited electrical service where the building is located.”
Panturad and her fellow campaigners were presented with the infrastructure limitations. “Naturally, we said, ‘let’s look at the numbers and see if we can balance the load for you,’” she recalls. “We are just asking for greater transparency so that we can validate the analysis using the skills that we are gaining here at MIIS.”
MIIS spokesperson Eva Gudbergsdottir says, “We have met with students and other stakeholders many times and shared the reasoning behind our decision in detail. We appreciate everyone’s interest in and greatly value our discussions.”