An interactive panel about energy shows students how the university and Iowa City are moving away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable energy options.

By Grace Lynn Keller
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Iowa City and the University of Iowa looked into the future of energy with a panel on sustainable-power solutions for the city and university Wednesday night.

“A Glimpse into the Future: An Interactive Panel About Energy” discussed the issues with coal as a source of fuel and the ways Iowa City, as well as UI, have been moving toward alternatives.

The panel was hosted by the UI Office of Sustainability in the Pappajohn Business Building, and it covered many issues surrounding energy, but the most prevalent were the goals both UI and the Iowa City Community has set to lessen their reliance on fossil fuels.

Erin Hazen, the UI Facilities Management renewable energy business development manager, discussed the university’s goals to slowly eliminate coal use.

“This year, President Harreld has announced the goal of zero coal by 2025,” Hazen said.

Hazen also discussed the obstacles surrounding bringing clean energy to campus, including available space and preserving the aesthetic of the historical buildings on campus.

She said to generate enough electricity to match what we purchase from MidAmerican Energy, the UI would need 200 Kinnick Stadiums full of solar panels, or 7,000 acres of open space for wind turbines, which isn’t feasible.

Despite those obstacles, however, Hazen said the university has taken steps to use clean energy, such as installing solar panels on the roof of the Seamans Center and other places deemed fit.

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“We are focused on reliability; it’s very, very important that we have uninterrupted power,” Hazen said.  “We are also focused on clean energy, and on how we can provide that reliable power in a way that’s best for the community and university.”

Brenda Nations, the Iowa City sustainability coordinator, discussed the city’s plan to reduce coal use in the coming years.

Nations said Iowa City recently passed a resolution for a greenhouse-gas reduction goal of 26-28 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050.

“Iowa City has been working on climate issues since 2007,” Nations said. “In 2015, we really dropped [coal use] substantially, and one of the reasons is MidAmerican, our local utility, has been using more and more wind energy.”

One of the biggest reasons for the recent push to regulate emissions in Iowa City was the signing of the Compact of Mayors by Iowa City Mayor Jim Throgmorton, which set a climate action plan for the city.

A plan is being drafted, and along with lowering emissions, Nations said, it also focuses on making sustainability accessible to everyone.

“We’re making sure it benefits all members of the community, not just people who can afford Priuses or geothermal for their businesses,” Nations said.

David Lewis, a recent UI graduate working as an adviser for Franklin Energy, also discussed what others can do to reduce energy consumption.  

Lewis said there is a lot people can do to help the initiatives of the city and university by saving energy in their daily lives.

“Little things every day really do add up; a lot of behavioral stuff that’s pretty easy to remember but pretty easy to forget, too,” Lewis said.  “I think the biggest thing is being able to learn.”