Beloit, WI – Beloit College students no longer need to stare at an abandoned coal power plant sitting along the Rock River on campus. They get to use it every day as their student union, recreation center, and gathering place for meetings. The college spent $46.6 million on turning the decommissioned Alliant Energy Blackhawk Generating Station into “The Powerhouse.” Funded entirely by public and private funds, The Powerhouse showcases how Focus on Energy® incentives can help Wisconsin reduce energy waste. The Powerhouse Project earned Beloit College a 2021 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award from Focus on Energy, a program run by APTIM.

“Energy efficiency through our Focus on Energy program is the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions from our power plants,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. “This project from Beloit College delivers on the promise to leave our kids with a better state and better world.”

Energy incentives from Focus on Energy for The Powerhouse include:
• $167,000 in financial incentives to support geothermal water-sourced heat pump for Powerhouse student union. This alone saves 14.4 million kWh of electricity and 537,240 therms of natural gas.
• $29,000 in financial incentives from Focus on Energy® for installing efficient lighting.
• $43,000 in financial incentives from Focus on Energy® for efficient heating and cooling upgrades, including the replacement of five old inefficient boilers.

In the past 10 years, Focus on Energy has returned $1 billion to Wisconsin’s economy through energy efficiency programs.

“Focus on Energy creates more than 1,000 jobs each year as ongoing energy savings reduce operating costs for businesses, increases disposable income for customers, and allows the money saved to be spent in the Wisconsin economy.”

The 120,000-square-foot Powerhouse facility features a theater, classroom, and meeting spaces. The Focus on Energy® financial incentive for the installation of a state-of-the-art geothermal water-sourced heat pump system means The Powerhouse efficiently and simultaneously heats and cools various areas throughout the building.

All of Beloit College’s projects completed in partnership with Focus on Energy® will save nearly 18 million kWh of electricity and 1.6 million therms of natural gas.