Upon the pending approval of a bond in Delhi Township, MSU’s campus could take a small step toward a healthier and cleaner environment. Although it might not be a huge leap, this small step still is one away from continuing to burn tons of coal per day.
Delhi Township residents are planning to vote on a $5.1 million bond presented by the Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, that would allow for construction of two greenhouses that would convert biowaste into biomaterials. MSU could purchase some of the biomaterials to burn at the MSU Power Plant, and the township plans on selling the university one ton of biofuel per day.
It is impressive how quickly these plans came together, and hopefully the residents of Delhi Township will see the benefits of building the greenhouses when going in to vote on the proposal.
If the bond gets passed, it would be a small breakthrough in MSU’s goal of slowly moving toward a campus with more renewable energy. It will not make MSU a completely green energy campus, but it is better than continuing to burn tons of coal.
Biofuels typically are made from organic or food waste products, and they emit less greenhouse gases than coal does.
Although some people believe shutting the coal plant down entirely would be a more environmentally friendly option, it is not necessarily a feasible one. There’s no disputing burning coal is unhealthy for the earth, but moving MSU to a 100 percent green energy campus just isn’t feasible at this time.
MSU purchasing biofuel from these greenhouses might not be a change that will turn East Lansing’s environment around, but burning biofuel still is better than burning more coal.
Robert Ellerhorst, director of utilities at the MSU Power Plant, said the plant currently burns 200 tons of coal per day and 20 tons of biomaterials, but has the power to burn up to 60 tons of biomaterial per day.
Even if one ton of biofuel per day from the greenhouses might not be a lot, it is one ton of coal that is no longer being burned. It doesn’t sound like a big change, but it is small steps such as this one that will help MSU become a “greener” campus.
If the greenhouses are built and MSU purchases some of the biofuel, the university also will be involving a local community on its quest to become more environmentally friendly. MSU would be assisting a local economy while improving the environment at the same time. Overall, it’s a win-win situation.
Few expect East Lansing to become a purely green energy campus overnight, and by making improvements such as purchasing more biofuel, MSU is working toward a long-term achievement for its campus.
The university deserves to be commended for looking out for small changes such as this and jumping at the opportunities when they arise. Hopefully the residents of Delhi Township will pass the proposal, and MSU will be able to quickly turn to the biofuel alternative.
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