On Tuesday, Dec. 10, construction fencing will be installed around the perimeter of S&T’s former power plant as crews prepare to remove the power plant chimneys.
Since S&T installed a geothermal energy system in 2014, the power plant has sat idle, as have its chimneys. Deterioration of the brick and concrete of both structures poses a potential safety hazard. The university plans to remove the chimneys by the end of the 2019 calendar year.
Since decommissioning the power plant in 2014, S&T has converted much of its energy use to a geothermal energy system. Over the past five years, the geothermal system has reduced energy usage by almost 60%, reduced water usage by 18 million gallons per year, and reduced our carbon footprint by 25,000 tons or more per year.