Hampton University Steam Plant

Hampton University operates a steam plant that supplies heat to the university's academic buildings, dormitories, and other campus buildings. The plant was built in 1886 and renovated in 1946, and consists of six (6) boilers: two (2) coal-fired units each rated at 34 million Btu/hr, three (3) distillate oil-fired units, rated at 19, 23, and 28 million Btu/hr respectively, and one (1) paper/wood pellet-fired unit rated at 4 million Btu/hr. All of the steam plant units were constructed prior to 1972.

The university also maintains on site a dry cleaning operation rated at 50 lbs/load and a natural gas/distillate oil-fired boiler at the University Cleaners rated at 4.184 million Btu/hr. The university also maintains two (2) natural gas/distillate oil-fired boilers, one rated at 3.348 million Btu/hr and the other rated at 3.313 million Btu/hr, at the E. Queen Street Dormitory and one (1) 600 kW diesel-fired emergency electric generator located at the university's museum. Other emission units at the facility include emergency generators, a coal storage facility, a pelletizing facility, and diesel fuel storage tanks (located at the Steam Plant and throughout the campus).

In May 2009, Hampton announced a proposal to replace its coal-powered steam plant with a geothermal heating and cooling system. School officials filed a request for $15 million state energy grant, which would eliminate approximately 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. The project has an estimated cost of $35 million.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Campus coal plants
 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * Opposition to existing coal plants
 * Coal
 * Coal and jobs
 * Coal-fired power plant capacity and generation
 * Coal phase-out
 * Coal plant conversion projects
 * Coal plants near residential areas

External resources

 * Anne C. Mulkern, "Colleges Are Battlegrounds for Coal Fight," Greenwire, October 14, 2009.
 * Campuses Beyond Coal Campaign, Sierra Club, September 2009.
 * "DOE Announces Winners of Annual University Coal Research Grants," July 7, 2005.
 * American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment