coal-fired power plant.
Susquehanna, which was founded in 1858 as the Missionary Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, is a residential liberal arts college with an enrollment of about 2,200. It is situated on 325 acres near the Susquehanna River about 50 miles north of Harrisburg. It is one of about fifty colleges in the United States with coal power plants on campus.
Coyne said the decision to undertake the $6 million project to switch to natural gas was made after a five year process which included "extensive research by the university and extensive dialogue with the university's sustainablity committee." He indicated that the university had considered wind and solar but that "either option would add thousands of dollars to each student’s bill."
The power plant, which burns about 2,800 tons of coal per year, will close in one to two years and with it seven jobs at the plant will also be eliminated. Coyne said that he personally informed the seven that they would lose their jobs.