 | |  Fauquier County LFG Energy Project
| Location | Warrenton, Virginia | | End User(s) | Pepco Energy Services, Inc. | | Sector(s) | Utility | | Landfill(s) | Fauquier County Corral Farm Landfill | | Landfill Size | 1.24 million tons waste-in-place (2005) | | Project Type | Reciprocating Engine (two Waukesha VHP5904LTD generator sets) | | Project Size | Rated at 2 megawatts (MW) (equates to about 15,000 MWh/year) | | Environmental Benefits | Carbon sequestered annually by 19,500 acres of pine or fir forests, annual greenhouse gas emissions from 15,700 passenger vehicles, or carbon dioxide emissions from 199,600 barrels of oil consumed. Annual energy savings equate to powering 1,300 homes. Estimated emissions reductions of 0.0234 million metric tons of carbon equivalents. | | LMOP Partners Involved | Fauquier County, Pepco Energy Services, Waukesha Engine Dresser |
 A commitment to long-term, non-polluting energy led Fauquier County to take action. The county’s Department of Environmental Services broke the mold when it voluntarily installed a landfill gas (LFG) collection system on a relatively small landfill and developed an LFG energy project.
Brought online in May 2004, the self-proclaimed “merchant power plant” was developed with no tax credits, no subsidies, and no grants, which are traditionally reserved for larger projects. A unique financial approach required no investment or other incentives from the state or the county.
To succeed, the county relies on being economically competitive with traditional wholesale power produced by coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy. An aggressive business plan controlled capital costs, manages operating expenses, and monetizes renewable energy credits. The facility is a modest building block of a regional LFG energy business strategy, designed to produce market-based wholesale bulk electricity.
The project’s highlights include the following:
- Blends low capital cost, design, and construction with best practice operating procedures.
- Voluntary capture of LFG reduces environmental impact on neighbors and fuels electricity production.
If interested parties collaborate on areas of need and can be patient, a project can be devised that can provide positive results for landfill operators, developers, electricity consumers, and the environment. —Ellis Bingham, Fauquier County Environmental Services Last Updated: 8/18/2008
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