Ohio University’s new heating plant will not use coal as an energy source, said university officials in a letter to a Sierra Club representative early last week.
“The President (Roderick McDavis) believes given the … uncertainty of future regulatory changes, it would not be a suitable energy source for the campus,” said Stephen Golding, vice president for Finance and Administration, in the letter.
“Based on the President’s counsel, we will therefore not consider coal as an energy source for a new heating plant, but will leave our options open as to whether coal (along with other energy sources) could be used in the future at a new heating plant if research and new technologies make it both an environmentally sustainable and a cost effective option at some future date,” the letter said.
Although the letter does not rule out the possible future use of clean coal, Sierra Club representative Nachy Kanfer said he is confident that OU will stay off coal altogether.
“This is good news, but what the university has said is that everything is on the table except coal,” Kanfer said. “The university will not be investing in clean coal because the university acknowledges that clean coal does not exist.”
Beyond Coal representative and OU senior Badger Johnson agreed.
“I think that is hilarious. I think that (clean coal) is unlikely to come around,” said Johnson, who “applauded the university for moving beyond coal.”
“I think that all they are doing is going along with the fact that they received funding for clean coal research,” he said, adding that he would rather OU spend more resources researching alternative energy sources such as solar power.
OU officials met with several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and the local chapter of Beyond Coal, last quarter to discuss the contentious Lausche Heating Plant and the university’s dependence on coal.
OU received 31,164 tons of coal during fiscal year 2007, according to the university website.
During the meeting, OU committed to close the plant and stop using coal by 2016, according to a previous Post story.
Last week’s letter stated that OU has begun searching for a consultant to help with the closure of the heating plant and for people to serve on an advisory committee.
OU officials could not be reached for comment.
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