Energy conservation is considered the easiest and most cost-effective way to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Opportunities for conservation on campus are great. In order to reduce emissions, the Climate Action Plan has laid out potential energy savings on campus in areas such as lighting, building commissioning, fume hoods, behavioral change and incentives, and information technology. All of these areas are prospective energy saving components and can contribute to a more sustainable campus.

More specifically, the iCAP said the University would implement decentralized energy billing at the college level in 2011, attain a 30 percent reduction in total building energy use (excluding the National Petascale Computing Facility) by fiscal year 2020 as compared to fiscal year 2008, and attain a 30 percent reduction in associated building related emissions. The iCAP also said that appropriate maintenance levels would be allocated to ensure that energy reductions are sustained.