Moretown Landfill representative Tom Badowski was present at the January 21 meeting of the Moretown Select Board along with several other interested parties and representatives from partnered corporation, Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL), to ask for a letter of support from the board.
The estimated 8,000-square-foot site will house a methane gas collection system as well as a methane-to-energy production facility with "critical grade mufflers" and hoods to prevent excessive noise.
Power will be transformed to a higher voltage and delivered only within electric lines.
The system will be run by two 20-cylinder engines (approximately 3,200 kilowatts of power generated, enough to run 2,500 homes) with room for a third to power the operation. The new proposed equipment will actually be quieter than the current system, according to Badowski, and will not contribute to any harmful emissions.
The methane gas extracted as a part of the renewable energy project will not last forever; therefore, the project must come with a decommissioning plan for approval by regulatory boards, including the Department of Energy and Commerce.
"Landfill gas is generated during the natural process of decomposition of organic material contained in landfills. Landfill gas is composed of about 50 percent methane and 50 percent carbon dioxide and water vapor," according to PPL.
PPL also added, "The existing flare will continue to operate when the amount of gas collected by the landfill's gas collection system exceeds the amount of gas used in the engines and when the engines are not operating."
There is no way for excessive gas to be saved or stored, but PPL representatives said, "If it's made, it's used."
The project also needs a State of Vermont air quality permit and a federal permit from the Department of Energy and Commerce.
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