The University of Wisconsin asked Gov. Jim Doyle to provide funding for a 150-megawatt power plant on campus Monday.

UW officials opted for the largest power-plant choice rather than requesting a smaller 45-megawatt plant or a heating-plant expansion. Madison Gas & Electric would operate the $180 million west-campus plant, with funding split between the university and MGE.

Alan Fish, vice chancellor of facilities, planning and management, said UW officials decided to go with the larger plant because it would cost more to independently build and maintain the 45-megawatt plant at $135 million rather than share the cost with MGE with the university paying $80 million.

He said the 150-megawatt plant would only be about 15 percent larger than the smaller plant, and the long-term costs of each would balance out to about the same. The additional fees the university would need to pay in case of a blackout or brownout would also substantially offset the benefits of the smaller plant, Fish said.

According to Fish, the university will run out of energy to heat new buildings by 2004 or 2005.

“If we don’t have action this year, we will bring on new buildings without heating and cooling,” Fish said. “We cannot afford to put it off. Students should be in favor of the plant because with this electric reliability, all of the research won’t be interrupted.”

The university’s recommendations came as a result of Doyle’s request for more study of the plant after its careful inclusion into the 2001 budget-repair bill under former Gov. Scott McCallum.

A county environmental task force made recommendations to Madison Gas & Electric Monday with the aim of maintaining a stable water level on the Yahara River in the face of the plant.

The 150-watt plant would drain approximately 1 million gallons of water per day from Lake Mendota, severely affecting the Yahara River’s watershed, which connects Lake Mendota and Lake Monona through the isthmus. The watershed levels must be strictly maintained in the river because the two lakes are not the same height, so water must be pumped into the river in order for boats to cross.

The plant needs large amounts of water in order to condense the chilled water into steam for heating.

The county task force said MGE should capture rainwater into pools and channel it into the river, as well as pump water from a water-utility well in the wetlands area of the Nine Springs Creek between Highway 14 and Lake Waubesa.

County executive assistant Sharyn Wisniewski said MGE should pump more water into the river for three to four months every three to four years when the water levels are low.

“It’s even a nice long-term solution,” Wisniewski said, noting that MGE would bear the cost of the operation rather than taxpayers. “Our concern is that in dryer times, the level of the Yahara River will sink way too low.”

She said the county has regulatory oversight over Madison natural areas, necessitating that the county task force confront the environmental issues a power plant could bring. The county has no say in whether the plant is approved; approval is a responsibility of the state.

“Our interest was only in protecting the lakes and waters if the plant goes in,” Wisniewski said.

She said she expects the Department of Administration to make recommendations to Doyle within the next few days.