Task force plans new power plant at Homewood

As the terms "going green" and "carbon free" have become increasingly popular catchphrases of an environmentally conscious generation, the University has made an effort to become more environmentally responsible. The centerpiece of this is President William Brody's Climate Change Task Force and its recent decision to revamp the University's power supply through the construction of a cogeneration power plant.

The President's task force was established on July 23, 2007 with the intent of?global?climate?change in the context of our University," according to the project's Web site. The Task Force is chaired by Ben Hobbs, a Schad Professor of Environmental Management in the Whiting School's Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering.

In addition, the Task Force - comprised of a varied group of faculty as well as individuals and groups outside Johns Hopkins -is broken down into three working groups: Tactics and Strategies, chaired by Larry Kilduff, executive director of the Office of Facilities Management, Community Partnerships, headed by senior associate dean for Finance and Administration Frederick W. Puddester, and Innovation and Research, under Darryn Waugh, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

So far, these three groups have put forth a number of important suggestions, with including a plan to construct a cogeneration power plant on the Homewood Campus in 2009. Falling under the scope of the Tactics and Strategies group, the plant would run on natural gas and simultaneously save the University millions and provide up to 20 percent of the campus's electricity, carbon-free.

A cogeneration plant, or CHP, would utilize technology that produces both electricity and heat - a turbine-driven generator will provide electricity, while the turbine's exhaust will be converted into steam which will then used to heat and provide water for University buildings.

Larry Kilduff described the rationale and history of this innovative idea:

"We have revisited the economics of cogeneration almost every year to test the economic viability of cogeneration for as long as I've been at Hopkins - now going on nine years. The continuing escalating cost of electricity, compounded by a new region capacity charge, recently 'tipped the scales' and made combined heat and power (CHP or cogeneration) very attractive."

The cogeneration plant, slated to be a 6,000 square-foot addition to the Whitehead Power Plant, an area that now provides parking for about 15 vehicles, will be a far more efficient and modern way of powering the Homewood Campus and will allow the University to buy less electricity from local (coal) burning plants.

Kilduff expects the plant to cost about $7.5 million of a new bond.

"The project actually has a simple payback of 4.8 years and the financing term of the new debt issue provides an opportunity to provide a positive cash flow from year one of operation," Larry Kilduff said. Best of all, the cogeneration plant should reduce carbon emissions by at least 10,000 metric tons/year, a sizable contribution to the University's green house gas reduction goals."

Much of the designing process has already been completed, and if all goes according to plan, this energy responsible power plant could be up and running alongside its archaic neighbor by October 2009. There are also plans to build an even larger cogeneration plant for the East Campus that would go even further in meeting President Brody's calls to curb carbon emissions.

"I definitely support the idea - as a leading research university we should be setting an example for weeding out global warming and [dependence on] foreign oil. We have the financial and intellectual resources to do much better than 20 percent," sophomore Lee Grosbard said.

A major objective of Brody's overall plan is to take advantage of Hopkins's many diversified strengths to form an interdisciplinary effort to reduce carbon emissions here at the University and to foster discussion about wider, global solutions. In addition to concrete steps like building more efficient and eco-friendly power sources, the Task Force also is working to promote change on an individual level - an attempt to increase environmentally beneficial behavior.

Fred Puddester's group, Community Partnership, is working on collaborating with local groups and governments to put a powerful wave of support behind the Task Force, promoting numerous small projects that the University and local communities can work on jointly.

"We're looking to engage all of the Hopkins community - the students, faculty, staff - as well as the local neighborhoods to do what we can to reduce the University's carbon foot print," Puddester said.

The group will focus on small efforts to make people live more energy conscious lives, with the hope of effecting a large positive impact through many programs.

"Part of this exercise is to directly reduce our carbon emissions, to reduce our [negative] impact on the environment. Another part is to enact a number of small initiatives to try to change people's behavior on a day to day basis," Puddester said.

The goal is to create a more energy conscious population at Hopkins and in the surrounding community. Ideas include everything from encouraging bike riding to working with a non-profit group to give energy efficiency appraisals for buildings in Charles Village.

"It's a good idea, everyone should contribute - the power plant should not be the only solution, though. Another good idea might be to offer incentives for students to help change behavior (to be more environmentally conscious). Maybe the school could offer discounts with dining dollars," sophomore Harvey Kaur said.

The Task Force is also working with state and local governments to get funding for the many suggestions and projects the group has developed since its first meeting this January. Outside contractors and alumnae have also contributed to the funding and development of the Task Force's ideas.

Kilduff praised the generosity of frequent alumnus donor Jack Ross, whose company Ross Infrastructure has been engaged to design the mechanical aspects of the plant.

Thus far, the Climate Change Task Force has taken significant strides towards reducing carbon emissions and sponsoring a culture of greater environmental awareness at Hopkins with a variety of community programs and the plans for new power plants.