Steam distribution operators maintain the utility connections that connect the university district on centralized systems. For an example of that, you may think of Abbott Power Plant, the campus cogeneration facility that makes both steam and electricity with massive boilers that power gigantic turbines – see for yourself! From Abbott, steam and electricity go through […]
Tag: Abbott Power Plant
Girl Scouts Tour Abbott Power Plant 2025
Girl Scouts from Champaign and nearby counties visited Abbott Power Plant in April to learn about the co-generation facility that provides heat and power to most of campustown. There, they interacted with demonstrations held by Grainger College of Engineering students, who showed how electricity and steam work, toured the production floor and other areas of […]
2025 Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference: What’s So Cool About Chilled Water
At the 2025 Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference, Mike Larson, director of utility operations at Abbott Power Plant, described part of why the Urbana campus is so remarkable in utility and energy production and distribution: chilled water. Cold water, taken down to 42 degrees Fahrenheit at five chillers in Champaign and Urbana, is pumped […]
2025 Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference: Keynote Recap
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a world-leader in teaching, collaboration, research and workforce development – and a conference has helped position Illinois as a leader within the state and region for those who perform similar work to F&S. The Illinois Chief Engineers & Facility Mangers Conference was a two-day gathering held in March, meant […]
Snowy Daze: Parkland Students Tour F&S Facilities
F&S, and the crafts and trades nation-wide, are always looking for the next generation of skilled, passionate professionals who maintain critical utilities systems. Buildings have required heating and electricity for decades, and will continue to for the foreseeable future – it might be the folks from a recent tour to do just that. Parkland College, […]
Abbott Power Plant Welcomes Girl Scouts: 2024 Edition!
Abbott Power Plant generates steam, electricity, and for some local girl scouts, memories from their tour of the one-of-a-kind facility. Associate professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) in the Grainger College of Engineering, Ashlynn Stillwell welcomed dozens to Abbott on a Saturday morning, and introduced the basic science behind the functions of Abbott, and […]
Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference: ‘Above the Line Behaviors’
Russ Reynolds sees the value of the individual as part of a team and recognizes how each person, and the choices they make, turn personal culture into organizational effectiveness. To Reynolds, chief engineer at Abbott Power Plant, each moment while on the job is another opportunity to be ‘above the line.’ These positive and proactive […]
Girl Power: Education at Abbott
Local girl scouts came on a Saturday morning to learn about the utility systems operated at Abbott Power Plant. Associate professor in Civil and Electrical Engineering (CEE) in the Grainger College of Engineering, Ashlynn Stillwell helped organize and manage the groups and distributed safety and personal protective equipment (PPE). Stillwell is also the former Central […]
Hey, Abbott! Technology to absorb CO₂ at power plants is promising
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) researchers have given the thumbs up to an innovative biphasic solvent system for its efficiency and effectiveness in absorbing CO₂ from flue gas at Abbott Power Plant.
Powering Up: Apprentice Certifications Show Employee Development
Welders have a lot to learn. There’s various techniques, each offering their own challenges, before even considering the plethora of materials one can weld. All in all, there might be 100 certifications in pipe welding mastery alone. Before you know it, a couple of apprentices at F&S will have learned a bunch of them! Utilities […]