Timothy Mies is the Director of Energy Farm Operations at the University of Illinois. He is also a member of our Energy Generation, Purchasing, and Distribution SWATeam.
For Mies, dealing with energy is just another part of the job.
“I came back to the University of Illinois in 2000 to design and build the SoyFACE (Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment) facility, which simulates the (likely) atmosphere of 2050 by increasing the carbon dioxide and ozone levels in a real field setting,” he said. “Then the opportunity arose in 2007 to establish the Energy Farm, a research facility studying renewable and sustainable energy sources from agriculture.”
He’s been there ever since.
Mies manages the daily activities on the 320-acre Energy Farm — such as coordinating the field activities, facilities, and equipment needed by researchers. He’s also actively involved with multiple research groups housed at the farm, including those exploring solar, geothermal, and biomass energy.
Working with the Energy Farm has helped make him more passionate about reaching overall campus sustainability.
“My involvement at the Energy Farm and working with energy crops helped to push me into this role on the SWATeam. I see bioenergy as one of the multiple facets of renewable energy necessary to achieve our iCAP (Illinois Climate Action Plan) goals,” Mies said. “As a large campus, our activities require large amounts of energy and resources.
“By being part of a SWATeam I am able to actively contribute toward the future sustainable operations of campus.”