MU Makes Progress on Going Coal Free

Summary:

The University of Missouri has a plan to become carbon-neutral in the future. There is no definite date set for the completion of this plan, but the student organization Coal Free Mizzou is pushing for one. Steve Burdic, MU Sustainability Coordinator, said that’s unlikely to happen. Instead of focusing on a deadline, the university’s strategy is to investigate and implement new technology when possible. MU’s power plant is currently installing a biomass boiler, which is expected to cut coal consumption by 25 percent within a year. The plant has won several awards for their efficiency and compliance with state and national regulations regarding emissions and cleanliness.

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ARTICLE: MU Makes Progress on Going Coal Free

The University of Missouri has set forward a plan to become carbon neutral by minimizing emissions and eliminating coal as a power source. While the university works on this plan, one student activist group is pushing for a date.

Since its founding in 2009, Coal Free Mizzou has been asking for a commitment to cease coal usage at the university’s power facility by 2020. The group’s campaign focuses on health concerns as a reason to eliminate coal use.

“In general, we know that the things that [coal plants] are emitting are typically bad for human health,” said Ben Datema, Student Sustainability Advisor.

Sarah Johnson, Coal Free Mizzou’s President, said these emissions are “not acceptable across the street from two dorms.”

Ear, nose and throat specialist, A.L. Barrier, said coal can certainly be harmful to health but it does not propose a serious concern for our students.

“In Missouri, we have fair protection from coal as far as dust in the air,” Barrier said. “But it is certainly very potent and dangerous to the lungs if you breathe it for any length of time.”

On Nov. 15, Coal Free Mizzou representatives took their case to the MU administration for the second year in a row. They met with Vice Chancellor Jacquelyn Jones and Gary Ward, the Associate Vice Chancellor of Energy Management. Coal Free Mizzou left the meeting without the commitment they were hoping for. Jones was unavailable for comment after the meeting.

Though the university has not agreed to Coal Free Mizzou’s request, other goals have been set to reduce coal use. In 2009, MU Chancellor Brady Deaton signed on to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. This commitment is to become carbon-neutral “as soon as possible.”

“It’s not possible to predict the future,” Steve Burdic, MU Sustaibility Coordinator, said. “Our commitment is to become carbon-neutral. So, instead of picking some artificial date that we don’t know whether we’ll be able to meet or not, we’ve just committed to doing it as fast as we can.”

MU plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent – based on a 2008 figure – by 2015. According to the Climate Action Update report, the MU campus had already cut emissions by 8 percent in 2010.

The plant has been mixing biomass in the boilers over the past five years, said Karlan Seville, communications manager for MU Campus Facilities, via email. Coal, woodchips, biomass and tires are all used to power the MU campus.

A new biomass boiler is currently under construction. Its completion in summer 2012 will enable a significant decrease in the plant’s coal use. A demonstration wind turbine and solar photovoltaic panel will also be put into use by fall 2012.

“Within a year ... we anticipate displacing 25% of the coal consumption,” said Gregg Coffin, superintendent of the MU power plant.

Over the past decade, the plant has received several awards for its efficiency with coal. In 2010, the plant was one of seven recipients nationwide of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Combined Heat and Power award.

MU’s Combined Heat and Power system has been recognized as one of the most efficient in the nation for many years. Most plants use heat generated from burning coal to create steam, which powers an electric generator and is then released into the atmosphere. MU’s system uses the leftover steam to heat and cool campus buildings through a network of underground tunnels. This system greatly increases the plant’s efficiency.

“We are always striving to be sustainable…and efficient in our use of energy.” Coffin said.

Though plans are being made to improve the production MU’s power, Coffin emphasized that individual choices can also have a great impact on the amount of energy and emissions the university produces.

“We’re looking for ways to improve not only the production of the energy for the campus but also the consumption side,” Coffin said. “There’s a lot of things people can do to turn down thermostats, wear sweaters, and turn off light switches and turn off water. And all these different things we can do that we can have a direct control over.”