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Tuesday, May 4
11 a.m.
Rams Head Plaza (next to Kenan Stadium)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Tuesday, May 4
11 a.m.
Rams Head Plaza (next to Kenan Stadium)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chancellor Holden Thorp will make an announcement Tuesday (May 4) about the future use of coal at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The chancellor will respond to interim recommendations he received last week from a campus Energy Task Force convened in January to study energy issues on campus.

Also speaking will be:

  • Bruce Nilles, who oversees the Sierra Club’s national Beyond Coal campaign;
  • Tim Toben, chair of the University’s Energy Task Force and chair of the North Carolina  Energy Policy Council; and
  • Stewart Boss, a student member of the Beyond Coal campaign at UNC.

The Energy Task Force made six recommendations to Thorp. Among them were ending all coal use on campus by May 1, 2020. The University currently uses coal in its cogeneration facility, which creates electricity and steam to power, heat and cool the University’s buildings. The plant is considered one of the cleanest-burning, most efficient coal plans in the nation.

The announcement will be made on the green rooftop of the Rams Head Plaza, within sight of the solar panel array on the Morrison Residence Hall roof. Paid parking is available for media in the Rams Head deck on Ridge Road. In the event of rain, the University plans to hold the event at another location. Details will be announced early Tuesday morning if the site is switched.

A mult box for audio feeds will be available at either location.

Energy Task Force website: http://www.unc.edu/chan/chancellors/thorp_holden/energytaskforce.php
Sustainability website: http://sustainability.unc.edu/
Rams Head Plaza:
http://sustainability.unc.edu/Buildings/CampusBuildings/RamsHead/tabid/113/Default.aspx
Morrison Residence Hall solar panels:
http://sustainability.unc.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=111
FedEx Global Education Center:
http://sustainability.unc.edu/Buildings/CampusBuildings/GlobalEducationCenter/tabid/110/Default.aspx

News Services contact: Susan Houston, (919) 962-8415, susan_houston@unc.edu

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