MasonTisa2Update…

Valley City (CSi-VCSU)  North Dakota University System staff continue to monitor legislative activity very carefully, and a summary is provided via a conference call with Chancellor Mark Hagerott and university presidents.

President Mason and available Cabinet members participate in these calls weekly.

The legislative tracking can be found on the NDUS intranet at inside.ndus.edu/legislative (log in with your NDUS account information to access the information).

Note that no new legislation will be introduced after today, Monday, Jan. 23.

President Mason will be traveling to Bismarck to testify in favor of Senate Bill 2196 before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. This bill would authorize the issuance of revenue bonds to pursue an activated carbon plant, which would integrate with VCSU’s new heat plant.

VCSU, in collaboration with the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota, is pursuing an innovative carbon plant addition to the heat plant.

The carbon plant would burn North Dakota lignite coal and biomass in a clean process to produce fuel for the heat plant, while at the same time producing valuable activated carbon byproducts.

In addition to establishing an independent revenue stream, the carbon plant would offer research opportunities for students and faculty members. The plant would also have a positive environmental impact with its clean-burn technology and the extensive use of the activated carbon products as filters for air and water.

Note that the VCSU Activated Carbon Project Advisory Team is also looking at alternative funding sources, including privatization.

The VCSU Activated Carbon Project Advisory Team includes:
• Steve Benson, Associate VP for Research, Energy and Environmental Research Center, UND
• Nick Hacker, State Board of Higher Education
• Lonnie Laffen, CEO, JLG Architects
• Michael Mann, Executive Director, Institute for Energy Studies, UND
• Tisa Mason, President, VCSU
• Larry Robinson, Executive Director, VCSU Foundation
• Ed Schafer, 30th Governor of North Dakota
• Mike Seifert, CEO, Aurora Borealis Dakota
• Delton Steele, Regional President, U.S. Bank
• Greg Stemen, State Board of Higher Education
• Rick Tonder, Facility Planning Director, NDUS
• Wesley Wintch, VP for Business Affairs, VCSU

More information about integrating the activated carbon plant with the new heat plant can be found at www.vcsu.edu/president/vp.htm?p=3771.