BOULDER - The University of Colorado is about to kick off a $91.1 million project it said will efficiently heat and cool its Boulder campus while significantly cutting carbon emissions.

Work began this week on a project that will upgrade the campus power house, construct a new heating and cooling plant and install new distribution system, according to a release from CU.

The $91.1 million project will be paid for through a combination of cash reserves and long-term debt proceeds, according to the university.

The most substantial component is a 72,000-square-foot heating and cooling plant, called the East District Energy Plant. The plant will be located next to the Coors Event Center. CU is pursuing LEED gold certification for the facility, and excavation work will begin in September.

Next fall, CU will start renovating the Power House, a cogeneration plant built in 1909. Equipment upgrades will allow it to generate about 50 percent of the campus' electricity using natural gas. The waste heat will be reused to provide heating and additional electricity.

The renovated cogeneration facility will reduce carbon emission by nearly 30,000 metric tons per year, a release from CU said.

The final component is the construction of an underground piping system that will enable the delivery of chilled water needed for air condition, including to the un-air conditioned Kittredge residences.

"Safe, reliable and efficient energy is crucial for providing uninterrupted power that supports CU-Boulder's educational and research mission," executive director of facilities management Steve Thweatt said in the release. "This project will ensure that we can effectively consolidate the heating and cooling of a number of buildings on the Boulder campus while continuing to build our leadership in sustainability."