Some environmental activists are pushing back after the Eugene Water and Electric Board partnered with the University of Oregon to test the school’s gas-powered back-up generator.
UO uses city electricity for its power and gas-powered boilers for its heat. In the “very rare event” these systems aren’t enough, the university can fire up its back-up generator to create electricity and steam according to the school’s utilities and energy director Steve Mital.
Now, UO has agreed to let EWEB use that generator between Jan. 5 and Feb. 28 of this year, as part of a pilot project.
EWEB spokesperson Aaron Orlowski said the utility wants to know whether having access to this power source would make its grid more reliable, such as during the coldest months of the year, when demand for electricity can surge.
“Sometimes that coincides with conditions that result in certain weather-dependent energy sources like wind and solar not really generating at all,” said Orlowski. “When all those factors line up, that can create a possibility of not enough energy on the grid.”
Orlowski said during the pilot period, the utility can ask UO to turn on the system if there's a spike in city demand. The university will operate the generator, while EWEB will pay for the fuel.
“This kind of partnership requires lots of staff time and knowing who to call and when, and how to work together as two teams at different institutions,” said Orlowski. “One of the big benefits of doing this pilot project is just developing those relationships.”
As of Feb. 4, Orlowski said EWEB hadn’t actually turned on the generator yet. He said it hasn’t been necessary or financially viable so far.
Opposition
Earlier this year, a coalition of local and student organizations urged EWEB and UO not to move forward with the project. This included Beyond Toxics, the university’s four workers’ unions, Fossil Free Eugene, and more.
Dylan Plummer with the Sierra Club said the university and the city are breaking their climate commitments, and defying efforts to decarbonize the school’s boiler system.
The University of Oregon's gas boilers are the largest single source of carbon emissions in Eugene. Plummer said if this back-up generator is used consistently, it could significantly add to that output.
“It's critical that the University of Oregon, which represents itself as an environmental leader, is taking action to address these very, very serious greenhouse gas emissions coming from its own campus,” said Plummer.
Plummer also accused EWEB and the university of failing to allow for public input before this pilot began. And he argued the utility hasn’t provided the public enough evidence of the energy shortages it says it’s looking to prevent.
“It's just absolutely reprehensible that these public institutions are using public dollars to expand fossil fuel use and not even taking the time to engage the community about the issue,” said Plummer.
Mital said UO is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, but he said there may be a need for natural gas in the short-term to fill energy gaps. He claimed UO’s gas generator is more efficient than most other power plants.
“When EWEB asks us to step in, we're able to do so with some good level of confidence that by doing so, there's less natural gas being burned in total in the northwest than would otherwise be the case if we left ours off and allowed a dirtier plant to fill in,” said Mital.
Orlowski said the utility would seek public input before entering a long-term relationship with UO. He said this pilot is meant to test the efficiency of the university's system.
“The right time to really get input from the community and hear what they have to say is after we have something to share with them,” said Orlowski.
Mital said it was premature to consider next steps before the pilot concludes.
Plummer said activists hope to stop this project through public pressure. He said legal action could be possible, but it was too early to speak on that further.
