By Joe Vaillancourt
Capital News Service
LANSING – The Michigan Department of Corrections energy bill was low. Surprisingly low.
“They wanted to send someone over to check our meter,” said Department of Corrections Director Patricia Caruso. “Our bill was three or four thousand dollars less for than it had been, and as it turned out, it was accurate.”
The Department of Corrections has “gone green”– taking many steps to use cleaner, more efficient energy and reduce waste, officials said.
“We made a priority of doing just the small things like turning off the lights and shutting down computers in the office building,” Caruso said.
In 2008, department’s 952 buildings had water, electric and gas bills adding up to around $48 million.
While the office building has significantly reduced its energy use, the department’s prison facilities are also finding ways to reduce.
“We’ve had a number of discussions with companies who are into renewable energy products and services, such as recycling some of the waste we produce to make energy,” Caruso said. “Some of our facilities are being looked at to possibly produce wind energy.”
The department, like all state departments, must follow certain guidelines regarding energy use and waste reduction as defined by various executive directives, said the department’s Public Information Officer John Cordell. Although water and energy use are closely monitored, inmates will not see any drastic changes during their stays.
“The prisoners will not see any changes in how they’re able to utilize the electronic devices they have,” he said. Everyday procedures such as hot showers and television use remain unaffected.
In 2007, the department was recognized by Gov. Jennifer Granholm for their energy efficiency.
“When we upgrade and build new facilities, we keep energy conservation in mind,” Cordell said. “We’re looking at saving energy costs, which could be using low wattage light bulbs for smarter lighting.”
While a few department facilities still generate their own energy, most belong to a city or regional power grid, he said.
Jerry Elmblad of the department’s physical plant said each facility focuses on environmentally friendly alternatives to energy, water and waste differently.
“A company is doing a test case study in Detroit at our Mound Correctional Facility, where we are going to put controllers on the boilers that limit the times they operate,” he said. “They guarantee savings of 20 percent. If they save us 10 percent, that’s a fantastic number for us.”
At Camp Lehman in Grayling, wood boilers have been installed that are twice as efficient as the ones they replaced, Elmblad said. The carbon emissions have also been reduced.
In 2008, the department spent $200,000 on cleaner, more efficient lighting, Elmblad said.
At the Marquette Branch Prison, 1960s-era steam turbines provide heat and energy. Instead of steam condensing back into water, like normal power sources, the turbines use the excess steam as heat and as a supplemental power source.
In winter months, the prison saw a decline in electrical kilowatt-hours, Elmblad said.
Other innovations include using the winds coming off the Great Lakes for energy, recycling programs and water-reduction measures such as no-flush urinals.
Despite the energy and water reductions, the department retains standards of air and water temperature as set by the American Correctional Association, Elmblad said.
The new technologies allow for some inmates to be trained and work under close supervision in certain fields such as energy, electrical and plumbing, keeping them updated on appliance and industry in the outside world, he said.
While the department is working to further reduce its harm to the environment, Caruso said there might be other benefits.
“We’re hoping to do some partnerships that could result in employment opportunities,” she said. “They would be logical and legitimate careers in the energy sector for prisoners who would be getting out.”
Elmblad said, “We are investing our time wisely. We have extremely limited resources right now so the department looks at energy as one of its top priorities. We are not afraid to go out and try things.”
This may be part of a trend. In 2007, a Norwegian prison saved thousands of dollars by starting a recycling program and spent the savings on solar panels. Now the prisoners grow organic crops using compost from the facility’s food scraps.