The harsh, forbidding winds of Minnesota may soon become a source of clean energy for Macalester if a student-led campaign proves successful.

The local chapter of the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG), a statewide student-run organization that promotes environmental and social causes, is trying to mobilize the campus around the issue of renewable energy. Their aim is to persuade the administration to switch to wind sources for 10 percent of the college’s energy needs. Among the students involved in the campaign are Brendan Bell ’02, Dylan Oakley ’02 and Jacob Chase ’02.

“This is the first chance the school has had to buy renewable energy,” Bell said.

The students’ efforts at Macalester are part of a larger, nation-wide push by environmentalists to encourage the use of clean energy derived from wind, biomass and solar sources. According to Oakley, “because of Minnesota’s ability to harvest wind, wind is the most likely source of green energy we hope to purchase. The Midwest and Great Plains states have an incredible ability to produce wind.”

Currently, Xcel Energy provides Macalester and its other customers with energy that is overwhelmingly derived from nuclear, hydroelectric and coal power plants. Following a vote in the state legislature last year, Xcel customers can now request to receive a portion of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind turbines.

Environmentalists believe that nuclear, hydroelectric and coal energy sources cause damage not only to the environment but also to people’s health and the economy. As evidence, Bell cites a study by ABT Associates, a research and consulting firm based in Cambridge, Mass., which stated that the release of particles into the atmosphere by coal-powered plants results in 249 premature deaths, 5,280 asthma attacks and 49,900 lost work days each year in Minnesota.

David Bergstrom, Assistant Director of Physical Plant, who deals directly with Xcel, believes the final decision will have to be made by the Board of Trustees, as it would likely entail an increase in the college’s energy budget. Though MPIRG believes that the switch to 10 percent wind energy would result in a cost increase of only $15 per student, Bergstrom says it is too early to assess the costs, because Xcel has provided very little information on the subject.

The likely higher cost of wind energy results not from actual inefficiency, says Oakley, but rather from initial increases in bureaucratic and transmission costs, since new transmission lines have to be built.

Brett Smith, a professor of Environmental Studies and Political Science, believes the proposed change may be worth the cost. “I think you might need to pay a little bit more to act in a sustainable manner,” says Smith.

He also points to the fact that two years ago the college signed on to the Talloires Declaration, which among other things, calls on colleges to “set an example of environmental responsibility by establishing institutional ecology policies and practices of resource conservation, recycling, waste reduction and environmentally sound operations.”

Bergstrom believes the feasability of the proposal depends on the extent to which wind energy is expected to replace other sources. Though 10 percent might be possible, a complete switch could not become a reality under present circumstances. The problem, Bergstrom says, is that “there’s no good way to store electricity. …Wind energy is great in the fall, spring, and wintertime.” But in the summertime, when it is most needed, it’s largely unavailable.

Ultimately, Bergstrom believes, “the best way to be environmentally friendly is to not use as much energy.” This includes simple procedures such as turning off lights when not needed.

For now, MPIRG is trying to get the support of as many students as possible for the 10 percent proposal before presenting its case before the administration. Its members have contacted and have received the endorsement of several student organizations, among them Maction, the Outing Club, MJO, and Mac Bike. “I’ve generally recieved a favorable response,” said Chase, who has approached several of the groups.

The students of MPIRG are optimistic. “It’s pretty hard to argue against kids with asthma,” Chase said.