ISU Students Protest Coal Plant

students began rallying against using the university's coal-fired power plant 9 a.m. this morning in front of Beardshear Hall.

The rally was expected to include speeches by ISU's executive assistant to president, the Iowa Wind Energy Association executive director and the Physicians for Social Responsibility's former national president, as originally reported on KGAN.

The report said that wind turbine models and a pile of coal were on display Wednesday to kick off the protest of the coal plant, which uses about 148,000 tons of coal a year.

ActivUs, a student group that promotes environmental and social justice on campus, and ISU Beyond Coal organized the protest. ActivUs has protested the plant for the past few years and plans to deliver a petition to ISU President Steven Leath, the Iowa State Daily reported. Find photos of ActivUs' past protests here.

According to a January report in the ISU Daily, the plant burns more than 150,000 tons of coal each year but was making steps to phase out coal.