Listen to this week’s radio segment here or read the transcript below. This week’s episode highlights the University of Iowa’s efforts to utilize biomass as an alternative fuel source.

By using biomass, the University of Iowa has lowered greenhouse gas emissions, reduced fuel costs and gained recognition.

This is the Iowa Environmental Focus.

This past June, the University of Iowa was recognized by the EPA’s Green Power Partnership for their use of biomass as a renewable energy source.

The University of Iowa’s power plant uses oat hulls from the Cedar Rapid’s Quaker Oats facility to reduce coal use. These oat hulls produce both steam and electricity to power UI buildings.

This significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and saves the university about $1 million a year. In 2010, biomass was responsible for three percent of UI’s electric power.

More Iowa utilities should look into biomass as a substitute for coal.

For more information on the University of Iowa’s renewable energy efforts, visit IowaEnvironmentalFocus.org.

I’m Jerry Schnoor from the UI Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research.

Thank You.