The T.B. Simon Power Plant is working toward a greener way to produce energy and improve emissions. Listed below are emission reports to show the strides the power plant is making to make MSU a greener community. For information about the power plant's green efforts, please visit Power and Water facts and stats page. For information on the renewable energy on Michigan State's campus, visit the renewable energy page.

Michigan State University tracks utility consumption as part of its comprehensive environmental stewardship program. MSU is dedicated to conserving energy as a way to reduce the use and save taxpayer money.

Michigan State University has developed energy conservation and optimization measures to minimize energy use and maximize cost savings. For a complete list of all the measures, click here.

The following topics are available on this page, click on the title to jump to the section.

• A history of energy initiatives at MSU
• Power plant emissions reduction: An interactive guide
• Michigan State University CO2 Emissions Report
• Energy, landfilled waste and electrical consumption by building
• Air emissions

A history of energy initiatives at MSU

The timeline below chronicles Michigan State University's commitment to a greener future. While this timeline represents only the past two decades, Michigan State University has long been dedicated to sustainability and prudent energy use.

In the 1960s, MSU built a co-generation power plant, using steam to both heat buildings and produce electricity. The co-generation system operates at about 60 percent efficiency, compared to a conventional electrical plant that operates at 35 percent efficiency.

The MSU Physical Plant Division developed a preventative maintenance program and construction standards, which were widely mirrored across the United States during the energy crisis of the 1970s.

For a visual chart of the timeline, please visit the infographics page.

1993:

• T.B. Simon Power Plant adds a fourth boiler capable of burning coal, natural gas and biomass.

1999:

• Sustainability Committee established. (Precursor to Office of Campus Sustainability)

2002:

• Yearlong wind study of campus completed, revealing generally weak wind patterns in the area.

2003:

• Solar panel demonstration project at MSU Pavilion, funded by state grant.

2004:

• Installed low NOx burners in the power plant to limit the emission of nitrogen oxides.

2006:

• Gas turbine with heat-recovery steam generator built at power plant to burn only natural gas.
• Energy and Environmental Engineer position created to oversee MSU energy projects.
• Environmental Stewardship Systems Team established, focusing on energy and greenhouse gases.

2007:

• Retro-commissioning program established to upgrade the efficiency of energy use in campus buildings.
• First biomass test at T.B. Simon Power Plant, using cornstarch as test material.

2009:

• MSU Surplus and Recycling Center solar panels installed providing up to 10 percent of the building's energy.
• T.B. Simon Power Plant granted permit to burn up to 4,000 tons of wood and switchgrass a year.

2010:

• Geothermal field designed to heat Life Sciences Addition.
• Contracted consultant Black and Veatch to assess next-generation energy technology options and their viability for campus.

2011:

• Energy Transition Steering Committee established to consider energy options and future development.
• Permits requested for 24,000 tons of additional biomass use at the T.B. Simon Power Plant.

2012:

• In April, the MSU Board of Trustees approved the Energy Transition Plan.

Power plant emissions reduction: An interactive guide

Several measures are in place at the T.B. Simon Power Plant to reduce emissions in the atmosphere. The interactive guide below explains the type of emissions created through the fuel-burning process and the efforts in place to reduce their release into the air.

Michigan State University CO2 Emissions Report

The “Michigan State University CO2 Emissions Report for the Physical Plant Division” chart allows a glimpse at the calendar-year emissions generated by MSU, including specific T.B. Simon Power Plant information. The chart highlights carbon dioxide emissions from the University’s automotive fleet, natural gas used for heating and cooling MSU buildings, the power plant’s individual emissions and the Chicago Climate Exchange carbon offsets for Michigan State University. As a result of urban forest offset, automotive reductions, energy conservation and the fuel switch at the power plant, we achieved a 6.5 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.

• University Automotive Fleet: MSU owns and services many vehicles for various uses at the University, including the Physical Plant’s own service vehicle fleet. The chart illustrates the amount of carbon dioxide produced from the MSU service vehicles, measured through total amount of fuel burned.
• Natural Gas – Buildings: The T.B. Simon Power Plant provides energy to heat and cool campus buildings. This figure represents the natural gas used to heat and cool the buildings located on south campus.
• Natural Gas – Power Plant minus Best in Class: This figure calculates the amount of natural gas produced at the power plant, excluding boiler Units 5 and 6. Boiler Units 5 and 6 are specialty natural-gas-combustion turbines with heat-recovery systems. The specialty boiler units burn natural gas directly, which then allows the heat-recovery systems to boil water and create steam energy. The Chicago Climate Exchange deducts the amount burned in Units 5 and 6 from the total amount because of the system’s high efficiency and low emissions.
• Power Plant – Coal: The power plant relies on coal as the main fuel source to produce energy for the University. The chart represents the amount of carbon dioxide produced from burning coal at the power plant.
• Power Plant – Total: This figure is the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the T.B. Simon Power Plant, including the fuel sources of natural gas and coal.
• Campus Total: This figure totals the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from MSU as a whole. The total amount includes the University automotive fleet, natural gas used for heating and cooling MSU buildings, and the T.B. Simon Power Plant fuel sources of natural gas and coal.
• Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX): In November 2006, MSU joined the CCX. The CCX is North America’s greenhouse gas emission registry and reduction system for all six greenhouse gasses. The reported amounts are the carbon offsets that MSU had acquired since 2007. MSU met and exceeded its original commitment through the CCX to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent below year 2000 levels by 2010, which was due in part to energy conservation efforts and largely due to fuel switching at the power plant. CCX's last year of operating the trading platform was 2010.

  The EPA is now tracking greenhouse gasses; MSU's first year of requirement to report to the EPA is for calendar year 2010.

  MSU continues to track greenhouse gas emissions and is committed to continue to reduce its environmental footprint.

  Some of the methods to reduce MSU's greenhouse gas emissions include increasing the amount of biomass that is utilized in the power plant, energy conservation measures implemented in the facilities on campus, such as controlling lighting in classrooms with motions sensors, and also increasing the number of electric and hybrid vehicles in the MSU fleet, all in an effort to reduce the amount of fuel needed to operate the campus.

Energy, landfilled waste and electrical consumption by building

MSU's environmental stewardship maps show building-by-building electrical consumption, recycling and landfilled waste amounts. Reports by building are also available. For real-time electrical consumption by building, click here.

Air emissions

Reports on the air emissions from the power plant are available at the Department of Environmental Quality's website. The DEQ uses the Michigan Air Emissions Reporting System (MAERS) for its reporting. For a listing of the power plant emissions reports going back to 1999, click here.