Students & Community Groups Cry Foul As University of Oregon Increases Fossil Fuel Use By Over Fifty Percent - CleanTechnica

Students and community groups in Eugene, Oregon, have strongly criticized the University of Oregon for initiating a pilot project on January 6th that significantly increases the campus's fossil fuel use. The project involves installing a large methane gas turbine to generate electricity for sale to the local utility, Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB). This move, which was implemented without public announcement or opportunity for community input, contradicts longstanding calls from students and environmental advocates to decarbonize the university’s heating system—the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the city. The new turbine is projected to increase fossil fuel consumption by about 65%, equating to burning over 4 million pounds of coal in an average January, thereby undermining the city’s Climate Recovery Ordinance and the university’s own climate commitments. Critics, including the Sierra Club and the University of Oregon Climate Justice League, condemn the administration for ignoring multiple student resolutions opposing the expansion of natural gas infrastructure. They argue that the pilot project exacerbates the university