Press Releases
Press Release: Empire AI & University at Buffalo Partnering to Decarbonize North Campus
BUFFALO, N.Y. – March 5, 2026 – The Empire AI consortium and the University at Buffalo today announced details of a major clean energy initiative that will capture and reuse heat from Empire AI’s supercomputing center to help heat buildings across UB’s North Campus, significantly cutting emissions and improving energy efficiency while supporting the most advanced academic AI research supercomputer in the country. Launched in 2024 by Governor Kathy Hochul, Empire AI is a cornerstone of New York’s strategy to pair national leadership in artificial intelligence with ambitious climate and clean energy goals.
As part of UB’s North Campus Clean Energy Master Plan, the project will connect the Empire AI supercomputing center to the Baker Chilled Water Plant via two new 30-inch neutral-temperature water pipes and a network of geothermal wells near UB’s Solar Strand. This integrated system will allow heat generated by Empire AI’s high-performance computing infrastructure to be recovered and redistributed to campus buildings, reducing overall energy use and accelerating UB’s path to carbon neutrality. This effort builds on Governor Hochul’s announcement of $68 million in state funding to UB, $62 million of which will go toward advancing Phase 1 of the North Campus Clean Energy Master Plan. The remaining $6 million will be used to fund the South Campus Parker Energy Hub project.
“Empire AI was designed from the start to prove that world-class computing power and climate leadership can go hand in hand,” said Kiran Keshav as Director of Research Computing for Empire AI. “By turning the heat from advanced AI research into a clean energy resource for the campus, we are using the same electrons twice – once to drive scientific discovery, and again to keep buildings warm. It is a powerful example of how shared infrastructure can deliver both scientific and environmental benefits for New York State.”
“We have to acknowledge that the cost of doing nothing is not zero,” said Laura Hubbard, vice president for finance and administration at UB. “Much of our heating and cooling infrastructure on the North Campus is roughly 60 years old and approaching the end of its useful life. By tying Empire AI directly into our clean energy master plan, we’re modernizing critical systems, cutting emissions and improving energy efficiency, all while supporting a once-in-a-generation investment in research.”
Empire AI’s Alpha system, already ranked among the most energy-efficient supercomputers in the world, is the first phase of a multi-system buildout housed at UB. As Beta and the future Gamma facility comes online, the new thermal energy connections will allow UB to capture even more heat for reuse across the North Campus, aligning Empire AI’s growth with UB’s long-term decarbonization strategy.
According to an independent economic impact analysis by HR&A Advisors, building out Empire AI’s supercomputing facilities in Buffalo and related infrastructure is expected to generate about $155 million in one-time economic output in New York State and support nearly 200 jobs per year between 2024 and 2027, with roughly $67 million in labor income. Over time, HR&A estimates that widespread use of Empire AI’s tools could effectively double research and development productivity in key sectors, adding about $266 million in value each year and more than $2.7 billion over ten years as faster, more capable AI infrastructure accelerates discovery and innovation statewide.
“Installing thermal energy networks at the University of Buffalo campus using the heat generated by Empire AI’s supercomputing center demonstrates how alternative-renewable energy can deliver 100% reliable power on a large scale, position high-tech industries to reduce energy usage, provide climate efficiencies that benefit the university campus, while securing quality, long-term jobs growth for skilled workers,” said Greg Lancette, International Representative of the United Association. “The men and women of the New York State Pipe Trades are proud to set new efficiency standards with thermal infrastructure designed to lower emissions, reduce grid demand, and help make New York a growing leader in both clean energy and responsible AI.”
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is also a key partner in the effort and is supporting the new heat recovery project at UB.
“The New York Power Authority is implementing comprehensive efficiency projects at campuses throughout the SUNY system that will reduce operating costs and energy use,” said NYPA EVP and COO Joe Kessler. “The Power Authority will collaborate closely with UB to implement a $62 million project to capture heat from the Empire AI supercomputing center and use it to warm buildings across the North Campus. This ambitious project demonstrates how innovative thinking and strategic partnerships can be leveraged to deliver scalable clean energy solutions.”
By pairing one of the nation’s most advanced academic AI infrastructures with a campus-scale clean energy system, Empire AI and UB are creating a “living lab” for how large institutions can decarbonize while expanding cutting-edge research. The North Campus Clean Energy Master Plan is expected to reduce energy use on the North Campus by roughly 30 percent over time and serves as a model for other SUNY campuses and communities across New York looking to deploy thermal energy networks and high-efficiency heat pump systems.
For more information about Empire AI, visit empireai.edu.
About Empire AI
Empire AI is a bold partnership of New York’s leading public and private universities to establish a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center, housed at SUNY’s University at Buffalo. The consortium includes Columbia University, Cornell University, CUNY, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY and the Flatiron Institute, as well as philanthropic backers including Tom Secunda and the Simons Foundation. Empire AI is pioneering safe, equitable and accessible AI research and development that benefits every corner of New York.
About the University at Buffalo
The University at Buffalo is a premier, research-intensive public university and a flagship institution of the State University of New York system. UB’s more than 30,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 500 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Recognized for its leadership in sustainability and climate action, UB is committed to achieving carbon neutrality and integrating clean energy solutions across its campuses.
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