For the past three years the campus of Eastern Illinois University has been reducing its footprints, carbon footprint that is! Home to one of the largest biomass renewable energy projects in the country, the Renewable Energy Center in Charleston got a special visit from a member of Congress. Congressman John Shimkus visited the energy center today. A reality Congressman John Shimkus got to be a part for a day. Shimkus visited the campus of Eastern Illinois University to tour the Renewable Energy Center. A center that on the outside doesn't seem like much, but Shimkus says this facility provides the campus with option for the future For a number of years the campus used coal for heating, but now that the facility has been rebuilt green is the new black. Chief operator engineer James Gilbert says this facility is one of a kind and the only one like it in the state. EIU President Bill Perry says the facility has had a rippling effect with a new addition, The Center for Energy Research and Education. He says this building won't be pumping out energy but education. Perry says going green was the best option that continues to grow, even in the classrooms. The Center for Energy Research and Education opens April 25th.
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