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GEORGETOWN, Del., Nov 20, 2006 -- BUSINESS WIRE
Two solid waste landfills are about to take center stage in the ultimate recycling project - using the landfill gas generated from decomposing organic waste to produce renewable energy. The landfills, located in Kent and Sussex Counties, are owned and operated by the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA). DSWA had the vision to recycle the landfill gas in a beneficial way, and selected Ameresco, an energy service company with an expertise in landfill gas project development, to make that vision a reality. Ameresco developed, owns, and operates the two multi-million dollar landfill gas-to-energy power plants at DSWA's Southern and Central Landfills. Thousands of tons of naturally occurring methane, a potent greenhouse gas, will now be captured and converted into "green" electricity. "With these two new plants coming into service, DSWA once again demonstrates its vision and commitment to environmental leadership," said George P. Sakellaris, President and CEO, Ameresco. "Ameresco is proud to be a part of such a forward looking project, especially one that has such tremendous community and environmental benefits." Developing new sources of renewable energy will lead to improved local and global air quality by offsetting the need to use other, more polluting fuels for energy. The Delaware projects will reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 60,000 tons a year, a local environmental benefit equivalent to removing more than 60,000 cars from Delaware's roads, or offsetting the use of over 1,500 rail cars of coal annually. Until now, the methane gas was safely extracted at the landfill sites through wells and pipes buried in the landfills and combusted in a flare. The gas will now be diverted from the flare to the landfill gas plants equipped with specialized GE/Jenbacher engines designed to burn non-pipeline gases such as landfill gas. The seven engines are expected to produce a combined 7.4 megawatts (MWs) of electricity - enough to meet the annual power needs of over 4,500 homes. Constellation NewEnergy, North America's largest competitive power supplier, has signed a 10-year agreement to purchase the power from the two plants. "Constellation NewEnergy is excited to partner with DSWA, Ameresco, and GE to bring these renewable energy sources online," said Constellation NewEnergy's Bruce McLeish, Vice President, Wholesale Origination. "The competitive power market in Delaware is expanding rapidly and competition is driving these innovations in renewable energy." The State of Delaware has a renewable portfolio standard which requires power providers to have 10 percent of their power come from renewable resources by 2019. Northeast Energy Systems, GE Energy's Jenbacher distributor for the northeast region, provided the engine-generator sets, application engineering, and will provide parts and service support for operations. "Northeast Energy Systems (NES) shares the project partners' interest in renewable energy project development, and we are proud to deliver the best available technology for green power production," said Al Clark, Vice President-General Manager. GE's Energy Financial Services unit is financing the project and noted the positive impact on the environment. "Combining our financing and equipment, the Delaware landfill gas projects demonstrate how GE's ecomagination initiative is helping customers meet environmental challenges," said Kevin Walsh, a managing director and leader of renewable energy investments at GE Energy Financial Services, which financed the purchase of the gas-to-energy engines. Ecomagination is GE's commitment to expand its portfolio of cleaner energy products while reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions. Governor Ruth Ann Minner applauded the public/private partnership and its positive impact on the environment and the State of Delaware. "The launch of these two landfill gas projects marks a new era for alternative energy in Delaware," Governor Minner said. "By creating more diversity in our energy supply choices, we are setting the stage for improving our environment and our economy." Mr. Richard Pryor, Chairman of DSWA concluded, "Producing green power from landfill gas is a win-win for the environment and the community. And for DSWA, it is the ultimate in recycling. We are proud to partner with these companies and support this visionary project." Project Participants Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) is world renowned for its economically sustainable solid waste management program. DSWA does not receive any financial assistance from local, state or federal governments for all of its activities. DSWA is a well-recognized world leader in engineered bioreactor landfills designed to enhance methane production for beneficial use and stabilizing the disposed material. U.S. EPA has recognized DSWA as a Partner in the LMOP program. www.dswa.com Ameresco is an energy service company that develops renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Ameresco is an industry leader in developing landfill gas utilization projects and has a portfolio of eleven operational projects and five projects under construction. The US EPA has recognized Ameresco multiple times for developing innovative landfill gas projects that contribute to improved air quality. www.ameresco.com Constellation NewEnergy (CNE) is a member of Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG), is a leading competitive supplier of electricity, natural gas and energy-related services to commercial and industrial customers throughout North America. Constellation NewEnergy operates in all competitive energy markets throughout Canada and the United States, providing products that enable customers to effectively manage and control energy costs. Constellation NewEnergy's regional expertise, coupled with its national presence, provides customers with customized energy products and services while leveraging the assets of one of the strongest integrated energy companies in North America. Constellation NewEnergy, based in Baltimore, serves more than 10,000 commercial and industrial customers throughout 31 states and 3 Canadian provinces representing more than 15,000 megawatts of peak load and more than 300 billion cubic feet of annual natural gas consumption. www.newenergy.com GE Energy Financial Services' 300 experts invest globally with a long-term view, across the capital spectrum and the energy and water industries, to help their customers and GE grow. With $13 billion in assets, GE Energy Financial Services, based in Stamford, Connecticut, invests more than $3 billion annually in two of the world's most capital-intensive industries, energy and water. In renewable energy, GE Energy Financial Services has developed a strong record investing in wind, solar, biomass, hydro and geothermal power, and is growing its portfolio of $1.5 billion in renewable energy assets. More information: www.geenergyfinancialservices.com. GE Energy (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2005 revenue of $16.5 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine division, based in Austria, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of gas-fuelled reciprocating engines, packaged generator sets and cogeneration units for power generation. GE's Jenbacher gas engines range in power from 0.25 to 3 MW and run on either natural gas or a variety of other gases (e.g., biogas, landfill gas, coal mine gas, sewage gas, combustible industrial waste gases). GE (NYSE: GE) is Imagination at Work -- a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world's toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and advanced materials, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.ge.com. SOURCE: Ameresco News Provided By |
