Oregon Tech To Be Powered Entirely By Geothermal Energy

August 7th, 2008 by Ariel Schwartz

College students are demanding sustainability efforts in their schools, and now universities are stepping up to the plate. This past Tuesday, the Oregon Institute of Technology outlined a plan to build a $7.6 million geothermal power plant on campus. The plant will become the sole power source for the school in a few years, making Oregon Tech the only university to be powered completely by geothermal energy.

Since Klamath Falls, the home of Oregon Tech, sits near a fault line, heat and energy can be easily taken out of the earth.

And Oregon Tech isn’t the only institution to take advantage of the abundant geothermal energy in the area.

The city of Klamath Falls operates a geothermal heating utility, using the energy to heat buildings, melt snow on the streets, and more. Raser Technologies, a company located in the city, has plans to build a geothermal plant in the city, and is looking into developing surrounding areas as well.

With Florida Gulf Coast University’s giant solar array recently in the news—and now Oregon Tech’s geothermal project—maybe we’ll be seeing some of the biggest renewable energy projects coming out of universities in the near future.

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