Today, Purdue University students, community members, faculty, alumni and staff breathed a sigh of relief as the Board of Trustees voted to nix plans to build a new coal boiler on campus. For nearly a year, a broad coalition including Campuses Beyond Coal fought the university’s plans to build a new coal boiler on campus, and today their hard work paid off.
Prior to today’s cancellation, Purdue was the only university in the United States that still planned to expand its coal power plant. While school officials touted the upgrade as “green”, students, activists and community members weren’t convinced. They feared that University officials were keen to cling to the “coal is clean” myth while other universities were leading the shift to cleaner power sources. (The coal industry cooked up the “clean coal” myth and continues trying to convince the public through a $40 million astroturf advertising and PR campaign by organizations like the “American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity”. But the public, especially young people, are seeing right through the industry’s propaganda.)
Purdue was initially hesitant to revisit its plans. But effective grassroots organizers at the university and in the community hosted protests, rallies, and several events to convince the school to move away from its reliance on dirty coal.
Purdue has committed to the creation of an Energy Master Plan, but few specifics have emerged. Teplinsky hopes the process will be open and transparent, and that the University will commit to investing in clean energy and becoming a leader on clean energy both in Indiana, and nationally.
