Up to 350,000 pounds of steam per hour can be generated by the Penn State steam plants, including the one on West College Avenue that is used to create a portion of the campus' energy.
In emergencies, it would be the primary supplier of power.
The system is effective but extremely old. The West Campus Steam Plant, for example, was built in 1930, and the university has been planning to modernize the plant since 2005.
The concerns about the plant stem from meeting environmental regulations and fluctuating fuel prices.
Every year, about 7,500 tons of coal are burned at the different plants on campus.
The university recently proposed two routes to change the current situation for the better: a $25 to $40 million purchase of a coal boiler scrubber or a $20 to $25 million initial cost for complete natural gas conversion.
The cost of operating the two systems per year will differ as well, and a conversion to natural gas may be more expensive per year.
However, a natural gas system would be much more environmentally friendly, and, as such, it is the better option.
Investing a similar amount of money in technology that doesn't execute the goal of implementing it would be counterintuitive.
It is great that Penn State has decided to do something to lessen its carbon footprint and create a more modernized energy consumption plan. With such changes, it is important to look for the best long-term solution, and that is natural gas.
