OSU making big impact with small footprint

Friday, December 9, 2011

Oklahoma State University continues its pledge to be more sustainable with its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transit buses and fleet vehicles, Clean Energy CNG filling station, energy conservation, recycling, composting, and sustainable dining programs.

The newest edition to OSU’s conservation efforts is an agreement with OG&E to provide wind power to the Stillwater campus.  Once approved by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the 20-year agreement will provide wind power to help meet the current and future power generation needs of OSU.

OSU expects the new agreement using wind generation, coupled with other OG&E power sources, will provide the university significant options to optimize cost savings over the contract term. As a result of this agreement, OSU plans to phase out the university’s existing 62-year-old on-campus cogeneration facility and construct a new more efficient boiler/chiller plant.

“As a land-grant university, we have a historic responsibility to lead the way when it comes to using our natural resources wisely and efficiently,” said OSU president Burns Hargis. “The signing of this agreement with OG&E is part of our overarching sustainability initiative aimed at saving money, reducing carbon emissions and improving efficiency.”

The university’s all-CNG campus/community bus fleet and its system-wide energy program has saved $17.5 million system-wide. Part of those energy savings have supported academic and research pursuits.  

“Natural gas and wind are two abundant natural resources in Oklahoma, and using them together to generate power for our Stillwater campus enables us to achieve a higher level of environmental stewardship while also supporting Oklahoma’s all-important energy driven economy,” Hargis said.

OG&E will contract with NextEra Energy to build a 60-megawatt wind farm near Blackwell, Okla., to support the OSU project. NextEra acquired the community wind development model project from OwnEnergy in November of this year.

Between 2006 and 2009, OSU’s recycling efforts and waste reduction efforts reduced the amount of waste the university sent to landfill by five percent which is more than 206 tons.
OSU officials estimate its sustainability efforts through the new wind energy agreement and phasing out of its current power plant alone will reduce the university’s carbon footprint by two-thirds or more.