Jan. 20, 2004 Conversion of landfill gas to energy saves money, creates electricity
2004
Archived News
King County Executive, Ron Sims with Paul Mitchener, President of Energy Developments Incorporated
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King
County Executive Ron Sims today signed a contract to convert landfill
gas at the Cedar Hills Landfill to electricity that can be used in the
region. The project reduces energy costs and reliance on energy markets
for electricity, generates revenue for the county through sale of the
landfill gas, and meets a growing consumer demand for energy produced
from renewable sources.
"This
project puts King County in the lead on the development of renewable
energy in a region where people have voiced their strong desire for
such a project," said King County Executive Ron Sims.
Renewable
energy is gaining popular and political support. An independent poll
issued recently revealed that nine out of ten Washingtonians back more
renewable energy. The poll, commissioned by Renew Washington, showed
that 93 percent of the 600 voters questioned favor increased use of
renewable energy. The project could generate electricity to provide
power to 16,000 households and will power the Cedar Hills landfill.
Also, a bill requiring utilities to offer customers more options for
renewable energy is currently before the state legislature.
The
county's landfill gas-to-energy project was announced in October of
2001 and was hailed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as
one of the "most productive and environmentally-positive new landfill
gas projects on the horizon in America." The program aims to capture
gas produced as a normal part of decomposition of garbage at the Cedar
Hills Landfill and converts it to electricity. In June 2003, the
Houston, TX-based Energy Developments, Inc. (EDI) was chosen based on
its meeting stringent requirements for energy production, environmental
performance, and community involvement.
Under
the terms of the contract, EDI will build, own and operate a power
plant at Cedar Hills that converts landfill gas to energy. EDI will
bear all costs of developing and operating the plant, and the county
will receive at least $400,000 of revenue a year through the sale of
landfill gas to EDI.
The
project provides numerous environmental and financial benefits to the
region. In addition to the $400,000 generated through the sale of gas
to EDI, the county expects to save $80,000 annually in energy costs
because the landfill's gas collection system will be powered with
energy from the EDI plant instead of energy King County now purchases
on the open retail market. |
