The East Campus Steam Plant operates year-round to provide high-pressured steam to East Campus. Steam from the plant is used for space conditioning, water heating, medical equipment sterilization, and other uses. The plant was built in 1929 and was renovated to run on natural gas when Duke discontinued its use of coal in campus steam plants as part its goal to become carbon neutral by 2024.
The East Campus Steam Plant earned LEED™ Gold Certification in 2010.