Eagle Red, Going Green
State funding will help Eastern lead the way to a more sustainable future.
Across the nation, the use of clean, renewable energy sources is revolutionizing the way Americans power their lives and livelihoods. Already, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, alternatives to the carbon-based status quo are generating hundreds of billions in economic activity, with much more to come.
Now, thanks to a Washington Climate Commitment Act grant from the state’s Department of Commerce, EWU is poised to play a bigger part in pioneering more planet-healthy ways of fueling our future. Earlier this fall, EWU was awarded close to $2.2 million to support two projects that will advance both Washington’s and the university’s clean energy goals. Project leader Erik Budsberg, EWU’s director of sustainability, says the clean energy initiatives will also provide applied-learning opportunities for Eagle students who one day hope to solve tough climate challenges as working professionals.
“These learning opportunities will give students a chance to get hands-on experience as they build careers that will ultimately tie into the clean energy revolution and help them secure good jobs — jobs in which they can help address the root causes and impact of climate change,” Budsberg says.
The bulk of the funding, $1.9 million, will support development of a carbon dioxide capture component for the university’s natural-gas powered steam heating system. EWU will partner with CarbonQuest, a local engineering and manufacturing firm, to implement this “demonstration carbon capture system,” which will reduce emissions while providing a research space for investigating new, emission-reduction technologies.
The hands-on study of emission capture, Budsberg says, will position Eastern to provide a road map for other institutions and businesses seeking to mitigate their own near-term, carbon-emission challenges — all while planning for deeper decarbonization in the future.
The state also awarded EWU a $275,000 planning and pre-development grant to explore installation of a 3.5-megawatt solar-energy system. Among the issues to be investigated, Budsberg says, are potential construction challenges, utility impacts and interconnection agreements.
EWU’s projects were among 46 grants funded as part of the Washington Climate Commitment Act. “We’re very thankful to the Department of Commerce and the state of Washington for seeing the potential for clean energy development in Eastern Washington and, specifically, at Eastern Washington University,” Budsberg says.
