Dirt is flying on 18th Street as construction has begun on the Renewable Energy Center.

“It’s tremendous”, said Gary Reed, director of facilities planning and management. “They’ve moved mountains of dirt already. We’re so pumped about this project going forward.”

Approval to begin permanent construction from the Environmental Protection Agency was Eastern’s final obstacle before beginning construction. The approval came late in the afternoon Friday.

“We got our permit last Friday and that turned us lose to begin permanent construction,” Reed said. “That allows us to maintain our schedule to get started on footing construction. The approval came right when we needed it to hit a critical date for beginning construction.”

The project is expected to take between 18 months and two years for full completion. President Bill Perry is focused on when the plant will be up and serving the university.

“The important question for us now is, ‘What’s our projected completion date?'” Perry said.

Reed said the construction timeline will move along quickly.

“We ought to be done with construction by mid-summer 2011, and we’ll be seeing reliable power for the campus coming by that fall,” Reed said.

Although many current students will not see the completed project, Reed hopes students are as excited about the project as he is.

“We owe a lot to the students,” he said. “They helped us lobby to get this approved. They really played a big role, bigger than they realize.”

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held for the plant around 3:30 p.m. Friday, after the Board of Trustees meeting.

Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, has been preparing for the ceremony.

“We sent invitations to all of the neighbors that we have been working with over the last year about the site,” Nilsen said.

She estimated anywhere from 50 to 75 people would be at the event.

Speakers at the ceremony are expected to include Perry, student trustee Eric Wilber, board chair Bill O’Rourke, Sen. Dale Righter and Rep. Chapin Rose.

So far, only university representatives have been confirmed to speak at the event.

Perry said additional speakers depend on who is able to accept the university’s invitations.

“It’s subject to change based on who is able to attend, like if the governor were able to attend we would certainly invite him to do so and say a few words,” Perry said.

Nilsen said the ceremony gives the invited speakers the opportunity to give a few words as to their involvement and the importance of the project.

“Following each of the speakers comments, a group of individuals will be given shovels and they’ll be asked to ceremonially put the shovel in the ground and flip a shovel full of dirt over,” Nilsen said.

The construction site has limited parking, so a shuttle will leave from the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union at 3:20 p.m.

Reed said preparations for the ceremony have already begun.

“We’ve already got some golden shovels ready for some dignitaries to turn some dirt over,” he said.

Sarah Ruholl can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].