Mizzou’s power plant has a remarkable legacy that dates to 1882, when inventor Thomas Edison gifted University President Samuel Laws with an electric dynamo and incandescent lamps. (The original dynamo is now proudly displayed in Naka Hall at the College of Engineering.) Following the fire at Academic Hall in 1892, the University’s Board of Curators planned six buildings arranged in a quadrangle. Among them was a central powerhouse to provide heat and power to the expanding campus.
As enrollment increased, Mizzou built a new plant at Fifth Street and Stewart Road, where it stands today. The plant celebrated its 100th year in its current location in 2023. Right now, the plant supports over 17 million gross square feet of campus facilities providing steam, electricity, drinking water, chilled water and utility distribution.
Today, the power plant remains just as impressive, providing both electrical and thermal energy to academic buildings, residence halls, athletic facilities, research centers, and hospitals across campus.
The plant has earned recognition from the International District Energy Association and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partnership for its ongoing efforts in efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.
By incorporating fuel switching, biomass and wind, the plant has made significant progress toward sustainability and continues to these efforts through long-term master planning.