The first American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) Campus Excellence Award for “Outstanding Use of Renewable Energy” was presented to the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) at a dedication ceremony October 3 to launch the school’s new biomass gasification facility, which will supply 80% of the school’s heating and cooling needs.

Cheri Faso Olf, ACORE’s Director of Education and Program Manager of the Higher Education Committee on Renewable Energy (HEC), presented the award to UMM’s Vice Chancellor, Lowell Rasmussen, and other campus leaders before a host of state and local dignitaries and community leaders. During the award speech, ACORE’s Olf congratulated UMM on the work that led up to the launch of its biomass facility, saying: “It represents the highest level of commitment that our institutions of higher education can make to renewable energy.”

The biomass gasification reactor will burn 9,000 tonnes of biomass annually, converting agricultural products and residue, such as corn stover and prairie grasses, into syngas for energy production. Beyond energy production, the facility will also pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy through the purchase of these fuel sources, while also creating new employment opportunities, reveals the entity’s press release.