Methane gas from landfill to be used for electricity production

FORT COLLINS – Methane gas produced at the Larimer County landfill will be used to produce electricity that will power about 900 homes.

The project, announced Wednesday, is the first clean energy project sponsored by the Colorado Carbon Fund and is a joint effort by Colorado-based Timberline Energy LLC, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association in Windsor and Portland, Ore.-based Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

The 1.4 megawatt project, expected to cost about $3 million to build, will collect methane gas generated by decomposition at the landfill and convert it to electricity. Poudre Valley REA will buy the electricity and distribute it to area residents. Construction of the facility, which will be located at the landfill owned by Larimer County and the cities of Loveland and Fort Collins, began in August and is expected to be complete by spring of 2010.

“This new facility will offer tremendous benefits to the county and the surrounding community,´ said Stephen Gillette, Larimer County’s solid waste manager. “This makes an important local resource even more valuable to taxpayers, utility customers and residents.”

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