[Sly Fox]

Liberty hires lobbyist to represent electricity-related interests

By Ray Reed
Published: February 16, 2009

RICHMOND — Liberty University is thinking about building its own electricity-generating plant after its utility bill went up 40 percent last fall, Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said Monday.

The university hired Richmond lobbyist Ralph L. “Bill” Axselle Jr. to represent its interests in several electricity-related bills now making their way through the General Assembly, Falwell said.

“We use so much electricity that we would be remiss not to look at some options for generating some of our own,” Falwell said.

Possible generating methods the university has considered include a biomass plant that could burn wood chips, a hydroelectric plant at a dam on the James River, solar panels on the school’s rooftops, “and even some wind options,” Falwell said.

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[Cider Jim]

I like the windmills idea, but can you imagine what the non-LU town folks would say about those gracing the LU mountain tops?

[Hold My Own]

Jonny Armstrong with Armstrong electric is a friend and "friend to the university" he has experience with the wood chip power (or whatever it's called) having installed it in some local companies. He says it's helped them out quite a bit.

[Ed Dantes]

I thought we had a power-plant??? When I was a freshman back in the Fall of '99, Falwell told us not to worry about Y2K because we'd be up and running if everything else shut down...

[olldflame]

I thought we had a power-plant??? When I was a freshman back in the Fall of '99, Falwell told us not to worry about Y2K because we'd be up and running if everything else shut down...

I suspect that just meant we had emergency backup for all our computers and other essential systems.

[ALUmnus]

Wind power is only good as a supplement, it can't be used as a singular option. We do have Areva in town, I say we go for the townies' jugular and go nuclear. But why do we not already have solar panels on top of the roofs? This could be a good project for the engineering profs.

[Ed Dantes]

Wind power is only good as a supplement, it can't be used as a singular option. We do have Areva in town, I say we go for the townies' jugular and go nuclear. But why do we not already have solar panels on top of the roofs? This could be a good project for the engineering profs.

You have to go through years and years and years of red tape to get a power plant up and running, let alone a nuke plant...

[Kolzilla41]

Wind power is only good as a supplement, it can't be used as a singular option. We do have Areva in town, I say we go for the townies' jugular and go nuclear. But why do we not already have solar panels on top of the roofs? This could be a good project for the engineering profs.

I think this is a great idea. You could put panels 360 degrees around the tower and power at least all of CN.

[ALUmnus]

or cover the Vines Center with solar panels, of course the glare would probably blind all incoming flights to the airport and all traffic on 460, but it's innovative!

[LUconn]

or cover the Vines Center with solar panels, of course the glare would probably blind all incoming flights to the airport and all traffic on 460, but it's innovative!

Not to mention the ice sheets of death that would be certain to kill an unsuspecting passer-byer.

[Hold My Own]

Tune into ABC at 7 for more...

[ALUmnus]

So what's the report? I obviously don't watch the local news much.

[Hold My Own]

You didnt miss anything, it pretty much just said what the N&A article did...no new meat

[LUconn]

Somebody mentioned wind power up on the mountains and you may have been joking but I've looked into it. As windy as it can be, it's not windy consistently enough in this area to get your moneys worth. I've looked into it for individual use.

[PastorZack]

speaking of the vines center, when the sleet and snow melt and fall off the sides does the sound still resonate inside? That always was fun in convo.

[JDUB]

i'm not sure but i think solar panels are not very cost effective. that is the impression I have gotten through the years unless prices have been reduced in the last couple years

[Sly Fox]

I was in Austin today and that hippie-friendly town was throwing up giant solar panels all over the place to keep the greenies mellow. Actually some of the newer versions add some architectural flare.

[JDUB]

can't just drop that and leave us hangin man

[El Scorcho]

i'm not sure but i think solar panels are not very cost effective.

That depends. In a home, they'll typically pay for themselves in about a third of their lifespan. In a commercial installation of our size they're going to be supplemental so it gets a little more fuzzy. The panels are getting more efficient about every 10 months or so now, but in very small numbers. We're talking tenths of a percent. I think they're up to 40.8% at the current record.

I actually mentioned this to some people at LU last year, but I highly doubt anyone listened to me. I'd be very glad to see it happen though. Even if it's not directly beneficial in dollars, I like the idea of using energy that's just sitting there waiting to be taken.

[Sly Fox]

can't just drop that and leave us hangin man

I didn't have a camera with me or I might've hooked you up. Sorry, dude.

[PastorZack]

the last solar panels they had in austin were knocked out by the sniper on campus....stupid 'sips

[Sly Fox]

Dude, you don't even want to bring that up in light of architecture issues in Collie Station.

[matshark]

I like the windmills idea, but can you imagine what the non-LU town folks would say about those gracing the LU mountain tops?

they'd just have to accept that we all need to make sacrifices for the sake of the planet. (at least thats what al gore and mao-bama say...)