The Central Heating Plant and Utility Tunnels are essential to the operation of MSU. The Central Heating Plant was constructed in 1922 and currently delivers steam to the core university buildings, approximately three million square feet. The plant also produces approximately 4% of MSU’s electricity requirement using a steam driven turbine. The plant operates continuously 24 hours per day 365 day per year.

The Utility Tunnel System was constructed starting in 1993 and completed in several phases. MSU currently maintains two miles of underground tunnel. The utility tunnels contain campus utility distribution infrastructure including steam, condensate return, irrigation water and control system compressed air piping, as well as chilled and hot water piping in some areas. Prior to the tunnels many of these lines were buried in the ground with very limited access for service and repair. The tunnel system is expanded as MSU continues to grow.

The current Central Heating Plant is the third plant constructed to provide steam to the campus for heating purposes. The Upper Plant was located near the site of present Renne Library and the Lower Plant was located in the basement of the Grain Lab, south and west of present Linfield Hall.

Construction of the current Central Heating Plant began in June of 1922 and was completed in February of 1923. The plant initially used coal-fired boilers with coal delivered by train from a mine near Mt. Ellis. The boilers were converted to natural gas in 1950. The original smoke stack was dismantled in 2003 to prevent the risk of collapse in the event of an earthquake.

The Central Heating Plant steam whistle was originally sounded every morning at 6:30 am to wake up students and at 7:50 am to signal the start of classes. Today it can be heard on the first day of the Fall and Spring semesters at 8:00am and on the day of Fall and Spring Commencement at 8:00am, 12pm and 5:00pm.