Purdue is the only university in the country moving ahead with a new coal boiler

West Lafayette, IN: A diverse coalition of Purdue faculty, students and Hoosier advocacy groups addressed Indiana state regulators today in favor of cheaper, better alternatives to a plan by Purdue University to expand its use of coal.

Purdue has proposed to construct one new coal boiler and one new gas boiler at the Wade Utility Plant to produce steam and electric power to meet campus demand. The new coal boiler would cost the university $53 million, at a time when other universities are moving away from coal as an energy source.

“A move by any university to invest in new coal infrastructure would be well out of the mainstream in this day and age,” said James Gignac, Midwest Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “But it’s especially surprising at an innovative school like Purdue. Last week, the University of North Carolina committed to moving entirely beyond coal and investing in cleaner, cheaper options instead.”

Kevin Gurney, a faculty member at the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, spoke of an economic and leadership imperative for the university to pursue investments in clean energy instead of coal.

“The Midwest has an opportunity to capture the emerging global market in clean energy technology,” Gurney said. “There is no better place to exercise the initiative than at Purdue University, a beacon of progress in science and engineering.”

That sentiment was echoed by Purdue senior Carmen Martin, President of the Boiler Green Initiative.

“We’re calling on the university to slow down and take another look,” Martin said. “My generation knows that coal can’t be part of this country’s energy future if we have any hope of preventing catastrophic climate change. Why would we invest in it at Purdue?”

In addition to the University of North Carolina, several schools have recently committed to replacing aging, dirty coal boilers with cleaner and more efficient ways to produce steam and electricity on campus. Elsewhere in Indiana, Ball State University is well on its way to replacing its four coal boilers with a 100 percent geothermal heating system, using natural gas backup for the coldest days of the year. The first two boilers will go offline within the next couple years, and the geothermal heating system will go into full operation by 2017.

“Purdue shouldn’t be losing the clean energy engineering race to Ball State,” Martin added.

Tim Maloney, Senior Policy Director for the Hoosier Environmental Council, praised Purdue officials for making an attempt to reduce harmful air pollution spewing from the Wade Utility Plant on campus – but explained that investing in a new coal boiler is the wrong choice.

“The proposed coal boiler may not be as dirty as the ones Purdue built back in the 1960s, but it will still contribute to severe air pollution problems in Tippecanoe County,” Maloney said. “And it won’t make a single step of progress toward reducing dangerous carbon emissions.”

The participating groups will also file technical written comments on Purdue’s air permit application this week.

The Boiler Green Initiative is Purdue University’s leading organization dedicated to sustainability and conservation initiatives. With a membership base of 400 students, BGI has been at the forefront of Purdue’s efforts to invest in money-saving energy efficiency programs on campus.

The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental group in the country. In partnership with 1.2 million of your friends and neighbors, the Sierra Club works to explore, enjoy and protect the planet.

The Hoosier Environmental Council is Indiana’s largest environmental policy organization. HEC works to raise awareness and stimulate discussion about environmental issues in Indiana—and ultimately help change laws, create jobs, protect and improve the environment, and make Indiana a healthier, better place to live and do business.

Falon French, Hoosier Environmental Council, 765-430-0979

Alexis Boxer, Sierra Club, 203-885-3629

Our interest in attracting birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to the landscape remains high. We spend millions of dollars on seed, feeders, and other bird-care accessories. We quote Doug Tallamy and his book, Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in our Gardens when shopping at garden centers.