Something new may be coming to the North Gibson School District. School Board President Mark Iunghuhn says district trustees are looking into the methane-capture technology that could possibly generate electricity for school buildings.

Listen:

 He says the school corporation owns about 230 acres, half of which are located above the old, abandoned Princeton mine. The mine was abandoned in 1923. Iunghuhn says they know that the mine contains methane. They've drilled several holes in the area and he says they have a producing gas well at the site.

Iunghuhn says methane is similar to propane, like natural gas used in homes. He says there's currently an active well in the King's Mine located south of Princeton. He says it feeds into a Vectren pipeline and across U.S. 41 into the Toyota plant and feeds up to ten percent of the plant's natural gas use. He says the gas can be used as a heating source or an aid for electricity.

Iunghuhn says it could save the district in the six-figure range every year and serve as a learning lab for students. He says methane can also be used to power district vehicles. He adds the project remains in the investigatory stage.