For the second consecutive year, Governor Edward G. Rendell today said in a press release that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized Pennsylvania for its national energy leadership in putting landfill gas to work, powering economic growth and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA selected a landfill-gas-to-energy project in Manor Township, Lancaster County, as one of four national Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) Projects of the Year. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was honored as one of the partners in the project, along with the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, Turkey Hill Dairy and PPL Energy Services.

Last year, the Landfill Methane Outreach Program honored DEP as its “State Partner of the Year” and cited Governor Rendell’s many initiatives to encourage and support the use of landfill methane gas.

Methane gas captured from landfills in Pennsylvania can be transformed into a cost-effective fuel to generate electricity. Electricity produced from landfill gas feeds the electricity distribution grid that powers commonwealth homes and businesses and this diversity helps to enhance America’s energy independence and keeps overall energy costs low.

The award-winning Landfill Methane Outreach Program project captures methane gas from the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority’s Frey Farm and Creswell landfills and converts it to electricity and steam. The venture was funded in part by a $650,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, which is administered by DEP.

PPL Energy Services uses two engines fueled by the landfill gas to produce 3,200 kilowatts of electricity — enough to power about 4,000 homes. The electricity is exported into the regional distribution grid, reducing the demand for construction of new power plants and helping to meet standards established by Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, which requires a percentage of the electricity delivered to Pennsylvanians be generated from alternative and renewable resources.

A byproduct of the award-winning project’s electricity generation process, steam, is piped to the adjacent Turkey Hill Dairy. Enough steam is provided to offset about 85 percent of the thermal energy the dairy uses in its operations, substantially reducing its boiler emissions and fuel-oil use.

Landfill gas was included as a preferred energy source in the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard created by Governor Rendell and the Legislature. The standard ensures that 18 percent of the state’s electrical power will come from alternative energy sources within 15 years. By including landfill gas in the standard, Pennsylvania gave electricity providers a strong incentive to invest in landfill gas projects.

Governor Rendell has focused efforts on capturing landfill gas to pipe it directly to serve businesses to keep jobs in Pennsylvania. Under the Governor’s direction, the state has provided strong financial support to encourage landfill gas reuse projects with the investment of more than $3.8 million in grant funding through the Pennsylvania’s Energy Harvest Grant Program, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and the Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants Program. These strategic investments have leveraged millions in private investment and created thousands of jobs.

Pennsylvania is home to 24 operational gas-to-energy projects. DEP estimates these projects generate more than 100 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 250,000 homes for a year. Additionally, the projects annually generate approximately 7,000 million standard cubic feet of landfill gas for industrial/commercial uses.

DEP has developed tools to help private businesses interested in developing or using landfill methane gas. The department’s bureaus of waste management and air quality have worked to streamline the permitting process for landfill gas generators and end users. By implementing a general permit process allowing producers to meet industry-wide practices, most permits are issued in 60 days or less. DEP also has assisted private business to harness the power of landfill methane gas by creating a database that allows developers to find promising landfill projects and end users to find sources of fuel.

In September, DEP and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation worked to make highway right-of-ways available for landfill gas pipeline projects, further encouraging and promoting the recovery and use of this emerging source of renewable energy.

For more information, visit DEP’s Web site at http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/, Keyword “Landfill Methane Outreach Partnership.”

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell’s initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.

Source: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor