On April 8, MSU announced the university will move toward completely cutting the use of coal at the MSU Power Plant by the end of 2016.

This decision is partly in response to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations launched in 2014, officials said.

In June 2014 the EPA introduced the Clean Power Plan under President Barack Obama’s Climate Action Plan. The plan is meant to assist with cutting pollution and maintain an affordable energy system.

Since 2009 MSU has reduced coal use by 65 percent, which means it is in the process of reaching benchmarks set by the Energy Transition Plan framework.

The reduction of coal use has lead to a reduction of carbon emissions by 18 percent, which is more than halfway toward one of MSU’s goals.

Robert Ellerhorst, director of utilities for Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, said the EPA regulations are just one factor in the decision to cut coal use by 2016.

Other factors include capacity, reliability and the health of the MSU community, he said.

Ellerhorst said MSU will still be required to follow the regulations, but looking at the EPA’s provisions for natural gas as opposed to those for coal use.

Jennifer Battle, director of MSU’s Office of Sustainability, said the power plant is currently at a 70 to 30 percent ratio of natural gas and other energy sources. Seventy-one percent of the energy supply comes from natural gas, 28 percent from coal and 1 percent from biofuel.

Battle said the move, in her opinion, is just one of many steps toward having a sustainable energy supply.

“It’s the ending of an old technology. The exciting part is the new options we are exploring,” Battle said.

In addition to ending coal use at the power plant, Ellerhorst said the university is currently in the works of exploring these options for renewable energy.

A wind analysis done on the south end of campus found there is wind available, but a lack of space on south campus where there are already research buildings and farms also impacts the decision to use turbines.

Ellerhorst said solar power would also be beneficial during the day when there is enough sun to use for energy, but the university also needs energy at night.

The MSU Energy Transition Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in 2012, set a benchmark for MSU to be powered by 15 percent renewable energy by July 1, 2015, but it seems unlikely the university will meet the goal.

“Can the university incorporate wind or solar? We are looking at that. There is no firm info to release,” Ellerhorst said.