Waste Management has announced an impressive scheme for utilizing landfill gas, which would otherwise contribute to climate change to a much greater extent than combusting the methane in the landfill gas as proposed would be the case if it were allowed to flow into the atmosphere.
It is crazy that landfill gas is allowed to vent into the atmosphere anywhere in the United States, and I understand that some states already require all landfills to at least be fitted with a flare to burn the gas to waste heat if it is not used.
When good money can be made from investing in landfill gas to energy schemes as proposed here, why are any landfills being left to harmfully vent biogas into the atmosphere?
Isn't it time that the US took national action on this? After all, they would only be catching up with practice throughout Europe, which has been in place for 10 years or more in most EU nations:
Waste Management's New Pine Tree Acres Green Energy Plant
“”Waste Management is committed to the investments and innovative technology required to bring a state-of-the-art facility like this to Macomb County …
Waste Management announced today that the company has completed construction of its new gas-to-energy plant at the Pine Tree Acres Renewable Energy Facility in Lenox. The plant helps power approximately 12,000 Michigan homes and has created positions for five newly hired staff.
By converting waste into energy for more than 12,000 residents, the new Pine Tree Acres Green Energy Plant represents the best of having tomorrow's technology here and now.”
(Is landfill always an option to be avoided? Watch our video for a contrary view.)
As waste naturally decomposes, it produces landfill gas, which can be captured and used as a green energy source and alternative to fossil fuels. At the Pine Tree Acres Renewable Energy Facility, up to 4,800 cubic feet per minute of landfill gas is being channeled into eight 20-cylinder Caterpillar engines to produce electricity. Located on 14.5 acres of land acquired from ANR Pipeline, the electricity generated at Pine Tree Acres is delivered to Consumers Energy utilizing International Transmission Company's (ITC's) transmission system.
The newly completed energy plant is designed to generate 12.8 megawatts of electricity, enough to power the equivalent of 12,000 Michigan homes. The other existing gas-to-energy plant at Pine Tree Acres generates 8.8 megawatts of electricity, which produces enough energy to power approximately 7,500 homes. Through these two gas-to-energy facilities, Waste Management will be generating 21.6 megawatts of electricity, creating enough renewable energy to power approximately 19,500 homes.
“Green energy is reliable energy,” said Cassie. “As technology allows Waste Management to extract more and more out of waste, landfill gas will continue serving as an ideal source of reliable energy — for Macomb County and beyond.”
The U.S. EPA has endorsed landfill gas as an environmentally friendly resource that reduces reliance on coal, oil and other fossil fuels. Like wind and solar power, landfill gas is a resource that can be harnessed to produce energy and has many benefits and advantages compared to fossil fuels and other alternative energy sources.
Waste Management, the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services and the largest recycling company in North America, pioneered landfill gas-to-energy technology over two decades ago and operates more facilities than any other company in the United States. Waste Management currently owns or operates 132 landfill gas projects in North America.
LENOX, Mich., June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –Â “
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/waste-managements-new-pine-tree-acres-green-energy-plant-begins-production-2012-06-15
We would be delighted to read your views on why the US allows so much energy to go to waste, and, in doing so, unnecessarily increases its emissions of climate change greenhouse gases. Please give your comment below.
Landfill gas energy from waste schemes create local jobs for skilled tradespeople, plus the electricity produced is used locally and benefits the community in many other ways.
