Campuses and some municipalities have steam pipes for distribution of heat. However, the economics of moving steam around vs. using the steam to turn a turbine

Campuses and some municipalities have steam pipes for distribution of heat. However, the economics of moving steam around vs. using the steam to turn a turbine to make electricity to run heat pumps is dubious. The electric solution is much more complicated, but it can also be used to cool the buildings in the summer and run lights, so the tradeoffs can be worth it.