Operation of the UNI Power Plant

Nov 11, 2015

Learn about the UNI power plant equipment, fuel consumption, electrical generation and the use of current technology at the plant.

Located on the west edge of campus, the UNI Power Plant generates steam and electrical power providing energy for lighting, heating and cooling systems for main campus buildings. 

This co-generation plant uses four boilers with a total steam capacity of 345,000 pounds/hour to annually produce 689 million pounds of steam. The steam is used on campus for building heat, domestic hot water heating, cooking in food services, and making chilled water for cooling via steam absorption chillers. The plant is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

The campus used 59.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The power plant produces 41% of the electricity with a 7.5 mega-watt extraction turbine. The remaining 59% electrical usage is purchased from the local utility. 

Steam and electricity are distributed from the plant to campus via tunnels, underground piping systems and underground conduit systems.

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Brent Maitland

Brent Maitland, UNI Power Plant Manager, served in the US Navy from 1988-1994 in the Naval Nuclear Power Program.  He graduated from the UNI Industrial Technology Program in May 2000 and was the UNI Power Plant Operations Manager from 2000-2010.  He was named UNI Power Plant Manager in 2010 and continues in that role today.