KILLEEN, TEXAS, Jul 2, 2008 -

Any skeptical residents who doubt the ZEROS technology had a chance to speak up at Tuesday's Killeen City Council workshop.

Instead, most of the questions came from U.S. Rep. John Carter and state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock.

The two officials picked ZEROS Inc. president and inventor Steve Clark's brain about the proposed benefits the technology has to offer the Killeen-Fort Hood area and beyond.

The proposed waste-to-energy power plant would be the first of its kind to implement the patented Zero-Emission Energy Recycling Oxidation System, or ZEROS, technology.

The plant is designed to use municipal solid waste to fuel an emission-free reaction in a 50-megawatt power plant intended to primarily service Fort Hood. The plant would be located off State Highway 195 near the city's transfer station.

An added benefit of the plant is the ability to produce diesel and gasoline.

"The No. 1 issue in the United States, head and shoulders above other issues, is the price of gasoline and diesel," Carter said. He asked Clark if a ZEROS plant's ability to produce gasoline and diesel will impact fuel prices.

Clark said a ZEROS plant has the ability to produce numerous fuels, including gasoline and diesel once it develops further. The plant is capable of producing either 50 net megawatts of power hourly or 43 million gallons of diesel fuel per year.

Not only would the diesel be produced more cheaply, but it comes with a higher rating to deliver more miles per gallon and is better for the environment with no sulfur, Clark said.

He estimated that diesel can be produced at a cost of about $1.30 per gallon and be sold to the public within the range of $2 a gallon without tax incentives or public money, which is well below current market prices.

Clark said ZEROS fuel could possibly alter the market price for gasoline and diesel.

Fuel production is in addition to byproducts of carbon dioxide, argon, nitrogen and distilled water. Clark said the plant could produce 7 million to 10 million gallons of distilled water, which could be used to irrigate dry areas and be recycled into municipal water systems.

Aycock asked Clark if local cities, counties or the state will be asked to fork over any money for the plant. Clark said the estimated $250 million to $300 million for the 40-acre facility will be provided by private investors.

"We are not now, nor have we ever, proposed that the city would risk one dollar nor one dime in this project. We're asking for access to your waste for fuel –which is a problem to you currently –with a promise that we're going to reduce the cost of handling that waste," Clark said.

Clark said ZEROS has no disadvantages to the public other than that if it fails, the public has to go back to using landfills.

Carter also asked how ZEROS plans to make a profit. Clark said ZEROS makes money by selling the byproducts. The byproducts will be offered to Killeen and Fort Hood first at a discount rate, Clark said.

Clark believes the ZEROS can save Fort Hood $20 a megawatt hour for electricity, from $78 to $58 megawatt hour. In addition, ZEROS can reduce the city's landfill waste treatment costs from $20 to $24 per ton to $10 per ton.

Tuesday's City Council workshop began with briefings from Clark and Dr. Allan Jones, former director of the Blackland Research and Extension Center in Temple and Texas A&M researcher, to council members about the benefits, the technology's history and potential success of the project.

Mayor Pro Tem Fred Latham asked Clark if any other companies or plants under similar names exist, and Clark said while they have may have similar technologies, he owns the patents and licenses for ZEROS technology, which he said is the only one that guarantees no emissions.

"There's no other technology that can make that claim, and we have demonstrated it repeatedly," Clark said of the superiority of his technology.

Jones said Clark's technology is a first of its kind and is primed to be both economically and environmentally feasible, based on research he has been involved in through Texas A&M since 2002.

Jones and Clark both said Killeen was chosen because it met the criteria to provide the waste as fuel and has moved faster than other considered areas such as Temple, Bryan-College Station and Waco.

"We haven't run into any stumbling blocks in moving this forward. That's why we say we're glad to be in Killeen. These are the people that want to make it happen," Clark said.

When all questions were asked and answered, Mayor Timothy Hancock welcomed ZEROS.

"We anxiously await this facility. We're here, ready and waiting." Hancock said to Clark.

Clark said he plans to bring engineering and plant design schemes to firms within 90 days. He expects the ZEROS plant will be operational by 2011.

Clark and Allen also met with the Copperas Cove City Council during its meeting Tuesday night.

They briefed council members on the plant and the benefits it will bring to the area. The council endorsed the project during the meeting.