YSU: Old steam pipe makes heating downtown too risky

YOUNGSTOWN  Winter is coming to Youngstown, and if downtown building owners are waiting for someone to rescue them from the chill, they need to look elsewhere besides YSU.

Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson released a public statement Friday explaining why the university cannot provide temporary steam heat to downtown businesses and buildings, a proposal raised as the city faces a heating infrastructure crisis. The announcement follows weeks of service issues from the downtown heating provider, SOBE Thermal Energy Systems.

Johnson acknowledged that YSU officials, including facilities and engineering teams, have participated in meetings with city leaders and stakeholders to try and find solutions. However, he stated that YSU cannot be considered a viable option to provide steam services due to technical, infrastructure, financial, and operational obstacles.

The primary obstacle is the poor condition of the existing pipeline that once connected the two systems.

“YSU facilities personnel have determined that the SOBE pipeline, which has not been utilized in over nine years, is in such poor condition that it is impossible to safely back-feed steam from YSU’s system into SOBE's distribution system,” Johnson stated.

The connection line was previously attempted, but crews reported too many leaks, which caused steam to burst through the street on Rayen Avenue and Elm Street.

Even if the pipeline issue could be resolved, Johnson says YSU’s current boiler plant lacks the necessary capacity. The system is configured only to meet the essential, uninterrupted service requirements of the university's students, faculty, staff, and campus buildings. To divert steam to external facilities like those downtown, YSU would have to make expensive modifications to its boiler plant.

"YSU would be required to make significant costly modifications into the millions of dollars to our boiler plant configuration," Johnson stated in the release. "YSU is simply not funded for that."

Beyond the infrastructure and financial issues, the university is not set up to function as a public utility provider. Johnson notes that YSU does not possess the regulatory authority, operational structure, established rate structures, or staffing required to operate and maintain a public utility that serves an external entity like the City of Youngstown.

The need for a backup plan is urgent as the region prepares for the onset of winter. The SOBE plant supplies heat to 28 buildings in downtown Youngstown. These customers have faced major service disruptions, including a two-week outage that occurred when one of the plant’s boilers was repossessed.

Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown has voiced strong dissatisfaction with the company’s unreliable service. Following a meeting on Wednesday, October 22, the mayor and other city leaders left abruptly. "We’re dissatisfied with the service right now that we're getting from this company," Mayor Brown said, adding that some days in his office, he has to wear a hoodie because it is so cold.

Reg Martin, the court-appointed receiver now in charge of the SOBE plant, has expressed confidence that the newly installed primary boiler is reliable but acknowledges the plant requires a backup in case the primary unit fails.

Martin said fixing the connection line to YSU would be less expensive than installing a second boiler, but he also needs funding to implement either backup option. The city, however, maintains that providing money to help the plant is not its responsibility since it is merely a customer.

The uncertainty has caused businesses to consider leaving the SOBE connection and seeking alternative heating sources. Martin warned that if too many customers depart and the plant loses revenue, he may be forced to shut down the plant permanently.

President Johnson concluded his statement by assuring the YSU campus community that its heating systems remain fully operational and capable of meeting all campus needs throughout the winter season.