Following an award from the federal government, the Department of Environmental Protection this week heralded the work of a Lebanon County landfill and PPL Renewable Energy for their partnership to harness renewable energy that is helping power local communities and businesses while educating the public.

The project was recently named a National Community Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The innovative display at the county landfill demonstrates the power of renewable energy from landfill gas, a wind turbine and solar panels.

The Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority project uses a 3.2 megawatt landfill gas-to-energy project, along with a 2,000 watt wind turbine, and a 1,000 watt solar array to generate power and demonstrate the benefits of renewable energy resources.

The facility has already hosted more than 2,000 students, teachers and community groups. It provides classroom where generators are visible through soundproof windows, displays all power production from the three renewable energy resources live, on a screen within the classroom, and demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of renewable energy resources to industrial and institutional facilities.

The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the Lebanon project is the equivalent of planting about 38,000 acres of trees, removing 26,700 vehicles from the road, or avoiding the use of 323,600 barrels of oil annually.

Pennsylvania is home to nearly 46 active landfill gas projects, including seven that produce high-Btu (British Thermal Unit) pipeline quality gas, 25 that collectively generate more than 110 megawatts of electrical power, and 14 that provide fuel for thermal use in businesses. Total landfill gas use statewide is estimated at 42,951 million cubic feet annually, which reflects the nearly 70 percent of current state landfill gas that is captured.

According the EPA’s environmental benefits calculator, this level of capture is equivalent to eliminating emissions from 1.9 million cars or planting 2.7 million acres of trees. The Commonwealth’s landfill gas projects, combined, provide energy the equivalent of 22.7 million barrels of oil, or enough to displace almost 1 billion gallons of gasoline—enough to heat 614,000 homes for a year.

In 2006, DEP was honored as the EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program’s state Partner of the Year.

For more information, visit the Landfill Methane Outreach Partnership webpage.

NewsClip: 3 PA Landfill Gas to Energy Projects Recognized by EPA

3/14/2008