Landfill Methane Outreach Program
EPA Recognizes Partners for Diverse Applications of Landfill Gas to Create Renewable Energy (2009)
Each year, EPA recognizes the latest accomplishments of landfill methane partners who have reduced emissions of methane and created renewable energy. The Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) acknowledges its Partners for excellence in innovation and creativity, success in promoting project development, and achieving environmental and economic benefits. On January 12, 2010, Partners accepted the following awards at EPA’s 13th Annual LMOP Conference and Project Expo in Baltimore, Maryland.
Projects of the Year: For 2009, LMOP is pleased to recognize six projects that creatively use landfill gas (LFG) in four types of renewable energy projects: high Btu, cogeneration, electricity, and direct use. These projects employed unique project structures, created jobs, and applied advanced technology, creating a new source of renewable energy to benefit the local community.
- University of New Hampshire EcoLineTM Project, Rochester, NH — A diverse team developed EcoLineTM, an integrated system that cleans and burns LFG in a cogeneration plant. The plant provides up to 85 percent of the five million square-foot campus’ electricity and heating needs.
- Jefferson City Renewable Energy Project, Jefferson City, MO — Project developer Ameresco changed the originally planned location of the 3.2-megawatt LFG electricity project to enable the capture of waste heat. The cogeneration project earned White House recognition for creating an estimated 80 jobs and expanding renewable energy for the nation.
- Altamont Landfill Resource and Recovery Facility, Livermore, CA — Following nearly 10 years of research and development, a high-tech high Btu fuel plant converts LFG into liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will fuel 300 garbage trucks.
- Ox Mountain 11.4 Megawatt Landfill Gas Energy Project, Half Moon Bay, CA — At 11.4 megawatts, one of the largest LFG electricity projects in the country helps two municipal utilities meet renewable energy goals and powers as many as 10,000 homes in the cities of Palo Alto and Alameda.
- Sioux Falls Landfill and POET Ethanol Direct Use Project, Sioux Falls, SD — The city captures, cleans, and pipes LFG for energy utilization at an ethanol plant, where LFG initially displaces about 10 percent of the plant’s natural gas consumption in a wood waste-fuel boiler.
- Oak Grove Landfill Renewable Methane Project, Winder, GA — In a high Btu project that produces enough gas to heat over 8,000 homes, a public/private partnership overcame barriers and applied innovative technologies that could lead to application at other high Btu projects.
State Partner of the Year: Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Topeka, KS — Through extensive outreach and networking, KDHE's Bureau of Waste Management successfully fueled interest in LFG utilization for energy in Kansas and beyond.
Community Partner of the Year: South Kent Generating Station, Byron Center, MI — Kent County demonstrated its strong desire to serve the community and implement a long-term LFG energy strategy when it was approached by Granger to generate electricity using LFG from the South Kent Landfill.