A proposed power plant for the University of Wisconsin campus is drawing criticism from UW students and faculty.

The West Campus Cogeneration Plant would stand next to the heating plant on Walnut Street and supplement Dane County’s and UW’s heating, air-conditioning and electricity.

Lisa Barnes of WisPIRG said the university should concentrate on conserving energy rather than on sustaining its wasteful energy practices.

“A big chunk of energy use goes to air circulation in labs,” Barnes said. “We should take steps toward alternative energy sources such as wind power to decrease energy use.”

Barnes is also concerned about the environmental effects of the large amounts of water the plant would drain from Lake Mendota. Madison Gas and Electric said the plant would extract one million gallons of water daily from Lake Mendota.

“MG&E doesn’t want to do anything to protect the watershed,” Barnes said. “Taking so much water would dramatically affect the lake.”

An MG&E report said they are working with the Department of Natural Resources to minimize lake disturbance, and almost all of the water taken in by the plant would be sent through Madison’s sewer system rather than discharged back into the lake.

Ken Ragland, an emeritus professor of mechanical engineering, said massive amounts of water are needed, because the plant is too large.

“When the plant gets too big, you have to use a lot of cooling water from Lake Mendota,” Ragland said. “Assuming that most of the proposed campus buildings get built, we do need a plant, but this proposal provides more electricity than we need.”

Ragland said the plant would provide five times the electricity needed by the university.

MG&E maintains that the plant’s cogeneration system, meaning its combination of producing electric and thermal energy, would make the plant 35 to 40 percent more efficient than a typical plant.

Before the plant can be approved, the Public Service Commission must evaluate the environmental effects of the plant and then approve or deny the construction.

PSC spokesperson Annemarie Newman said they will issue an environmental impact statement with the DNR early next year, and the commission is on track to make a decision within the next 180 days. She said the statement will evaluate factors such as air pollution, noise, aesthetics and water usage.

Construction could begin as early as 2003 and power the campus by 2004.

UW and MG&E would jointly fund the project.

Ragland said he is concerned about the high cost of the plant, which is projected between $175 and $195 million, as well as the plant’s use of natural gas rather than coal.

“The price of natural gas is much more volatile and is going to run out faster than coal in the long run,” he said.

The plant could pump out approximately 150 megawatts of electricity, 20,000 tons of chilled water and 500,000 pounds of steam per hour.