Indiana ranked fourth for tons of carbon dioxide released by its power plants in 2007, according to a report released Tuesday.
The Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington-based advocacy group, said carbon dioxide emissions released by the nation's power plants rose nearly 3 percent last year.
A growing number of studies linking carbon dioxide to global warming has pushed energy companies as well as consumers to investigate green energy, which is power from renewable, environmentally-friendly sources that produce little or no pollution.
Robert Koester, director of the Center for Energy Research/Education/Service, said Ball State spends three-quarters of its annual energy costs on electricity.
He said Ball State could easily invest in wind power to generate some of the electricity the university needs by building a series of wind turbines.
The turbines would be connected to a power grid, which stores electricity until needed, he said.
Alternatively, purchasing green electricity such as wind power would give Ball State the benefits of renewable energy without the need for construction, Koester said.
"Purchasing green power is the most immediate way for the university to have an impact on renewable energy technology," he said.
American Electric Power, which supplies electricity to Ball State, owns and operates wind farms in Texas and Oklahoma, according to an October 2006 press release from Indiana Michigan Power, an AEP subsidiary.
Indiana Michigan Power announced it would build several 200-foot towers to collect wind data in East Central Indiana to research the development of a wind farm in the region, the press release said.
Jim Lowe, director of engineering and operations, said by adding green energy to its grids, AEP can supply its customers, such as Ball State, with a growing percentage of electricity from renewable sources.
Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of facilities planning and management, said Ball State is in the process of working with CERES to build a small wind turbine at Cooper/Skinner Farm, a Ball State-owned property used for environmental education.
Kenyon said the project is for demonstration purposes and that the university has no plans to purchase wind power due to a lack of funds.
Additionally, government studies show Indiana might not be a prime location for large-scale wind farms.
Data from the U.S. Department of Energy published a wind resource map for Indiana, showing wind speeds at 50 meters above ground throughout the state.
According to the map's Web site, the Department of Energy identifies seven wind power classes, based on typical wind speeds in a given area.
Indiana's strongest wind resources, according to the map, are found in a narrow band along the coast of Lake Michigan; wind speeds in relation to Muncie are strongest around Winchester, in a Class 3 area.
Several of Indiana's Class 3 areas might be suitable for utility-scale wind development, according to the Web site.
Kenyon said Ball State had considered more active use of renewable energy by installing solar panels on the roofs of new campus buildings.
Although the cost of the project prevented its realization, he said, the university would continue to investigate new sources of green energy.
"I think we should be keeping an ear to developments in renewable energy," Kenyon said.
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