Rice University
OP-2: Outdoor Air Quality

The EAS annually collects statewide data on emissions from industries that meet the Emission Inventory (EI) reporting requirements and stores those data in its database, the State of Texas Air Reporting System (STARS). An EI is the result of a process the EAS uses to collect data on standardized forms to ensure consistency among types of data collected, and to facilitate data entry into and retrieval from STARS. The data collected identify the company, site, point of contact, emission source, abatement device, emission point, and path emissions. Every EI is currently identified with and indexed by a site-specific air regulated entity reference number, a unique identification number assigned by the TCEQ. A site's air regulated entity reference number will thus also uniquely identify its EI.

The following are a number of Rice’s initiatives to minimize air pollutant emissions from stationary sources: (1) The University uses natural gas cogeneration to supply about one third of its campus energy needs. Cogeneration is a much more efficient way to generate electricity than typical coal fired power plants. The reduction of emissions results not for the site but for the region. (2) Rice consistently falls underneath its emissions cap. As such, with the cap and trade program, Rice has the option of going out and selling its remaining allowances; however, the University chooses not to, thereby preventing additional pollution in the region. (3) Rice tends to perform tests on generating equipment during non-peak hours. (4) Rice participates in various programs to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours by fuel switching to natural gas cogeneration on-campus. This is cleaner than what would be generated off-site. Thus, while it adds to Rice’s on-site emissions, it reduces the total region-wide emissions.