MARQUETTE, MI— Northern Michigan University was recently awarded $114,553 from the U.S. Forest Service’s Wood Innovation Grant program to identify facility and process improvements for the combined heat and power plant at the Ripley Plant on campus. This is an essential step in working toward NMU’s Carbon Neutrality Plan and the potential transition from natural gas to using local woodchips.
This initiative grew out of the Northern Woodshed Project, an applied research collaboration supported by NMU’s SISU Institute, and involving NMU’s Facilities Department, the Department of Earth, Environmental & Geographical Sciences, the Center for Native American Studies, and the Department of Biology. The aim of the Northern Woodshed Project is to assess the environmental, economic, cultural and technical feasibility of switching from natural gas to locally harvested woodchips at the Ripley Plant.
According to NMU’s 2023 Energy Master Plan Report, the university's greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) comes from using natural gas to heat, cool, humidify and produce hot water on campus. The Ripley Heating Plant produces 56.6% of NMU’s total GHG through its use of natural gas, compared to 38.4% of GHG emissions from electricity purchased from the Marquette Board of Light and Power. While state and federal policies have focused on decarbonization through electrification, less is known about other low-carbon solutions, particularly those related to heating larger institutions in northern climates.
NMU’s Carbon Neutrality Plan aims to reduce greenhouse gases 50% by 2040 by reducing energy demand and investing in renewable energy technologies. Specifically, the plan states that NMU will “develop a plan to potentially transition from natural gas to a renewable fuel, such as biomass or renewable natural gas, at the Ripley Plant.” The Northern Woodshed Project aims to engage students, faculty, and staff in an applied research experience that will help provide decision-makers with community-informed empirical data related to forest-based bioenergy technologies.
