Environmental Protection Agency

Picture of Sandy Edwards, Central TX Regional Director from Office US Sen. John Cornyn, De Smith from State Senator Kip Averitt, Charles "Doc" Anderson, State Representative District 56, Jakob Stewart of US Rep. Chet Edwards, Todd Lachman, President, Mars Snackfood US, Virginia Dupuy, Mayor of Waco, Texas, Richard Greene, Darci Harris, Mars Snackfood US, Waco Site Director, Coby Shorter, Deputy Sec. of State, State of Texas.

EPA Region 6 Administrator Richard E. Greene is joined by members of Mars North America, along with state and local dignitaries, to celebrate the company’s LFGE project.

On May 13, 2008, EPA joined LMOP Energy Partner Mars North America and local officials to flip the switch on the candy maker’s first LFGE project, which is located at its Waco, Texas facility. The project will use landfill gas (LFG) piped in from the City of Waco Landfill to power two furnaces that create steam for the plant’s operations. LMOP Industry Partner Cromeco Inc., which has been harvesting the LFG for more than ten years, built the five-mile pipeline to the Mars plant. The LFG will replace 60 percent of the plant’s current natural gas consumption, saving the company $600,000 a year in energy costs and eliminating 10,000 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent—emissions reductions equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from nearly 1,900 passenger vehicles. Mars has spent less than $1 million to build new pipes on-site and to retrofit its boilers to use the LFG.

"Turning waste into energy is a smart strategy for business and the environment," EPA Region 6 Administrator Richard E. Greene said. "EPA is pleased to be working with partners like Mars on innovative projects like this one that deliver clean, renewable sources of energy."

Are you aware of LMOP's efforts to market the use of LFG to the corporate and utility sectors? The LMOP End-User Marketing Team has been very active in this area during the past few years and our efforts are paying off. Starting in 2004, LMOP began targeted outreach efforts to large energy users such as aluminum and brick manufacturers, along with electric utilities, in order to educate them about the benefits of LFGE projects.

LMOP has been encouraged by the ongoing development of LFGE projects by LMOP Energy Partners The Dow Chemical Company (chemical manufacturer) and Milliken & Company (textile manufacturer), and other major corporations such as Kimberly-Clark Corporation (personal care product manufacturer), Mead Johnson Nutritionals (pharmaceuticals manufacturer), and Boral Brick, Inc. (brick manufacturer). These companies, in addition to numerous others that have already successfully implemented LFGE projects, are realizing the multiple benefits resulting from this renewable energy source. Many direct-use projects continue to be implemented in the absence of federal tax credits based solely on their economic merits, with the additional benefits of GHG reductions and positive public relations.

The LMOP End-User Marketing Team continues to explore new opportunities for LFGE development. During the past year, the team has attended and presented at the following conferences:

LMOP publicizes the conferences it will be attending on its Web site.

At these events, LMOP informed potential end users of the free services available to help companies identify LFGE opportunities. For example, EPA can use the LMOP Locator to match landfills and end users. These results can be plotted on maps to easily identify distances and potential right-of-way issues (e.g., railway, river, highway). LMOP can also model the energy and GHG reduction potential from candidate landfills. Additionally, LMOP can conduct preliminary economic analyses using LFGcost for parties interested in LFGE projects. LFGcost-Web, a simplified version of LFGcost, is also available to LMOP Partners.

For more information about LMOP's End-User Marketing Team, contact Rachel Goldstein (goldstein.rachel@epa.gov) at 202-343-9391. Those end users interested in having LMOP match them to landfills, estimate the potential energy and GHG benefits from a landfill, or conduct a preliminary economic analysis, should contact Rachel or any of the other LMOP Territory Managers.

Examples of Climate Leaders using LFGE either directly or through the purchase of LFG renewable energy certificates include:

LMOP Industry Partner Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
Dell, Inc.
DuPont Company
LMOP Energy Partner Exelon Corporation
LMOP Energy Partner General Motors Corporation
LMOP Energy Partner Interface, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
SC Johnson
Staples

Climate Leaders, an EPA industry-government partnership, encourages companies to commit to developing comprehensive climate change strategies through cost-effective projects that reduce GHGs and increase energy efficiency. Climate Leaders Partners can use external projects such as offset projects—in addition to projects within the boundary of their organizations—to meet their GHG reduction goals. External projects must meet several criteria to prove that they are credible—the reductions must be real, additional, permanent, and verifiable.

Earlier this year, LMOP worked with Climate Leaders to revise its paper, Greenhouse Gas Inventory Protocol Offset Project Methodology for Project Type: Landfill Methane Collection and Combustion (PDF, 16 pp., 249 KB, About PDF). The paper details a performance standard that includes measuring and monitoring guidance for GHG offset projects that use LFG collection and combustion. In addition, this guidance addresses the eligibility of LFG collection and combustion projects as GHG offset projects for Climate Leaders Partners.

Georgia
Earlier this year, LMOP Industry Partner Republic Services teamed with Renewable Solutions Group, LLC to begin work on a new LFG high-Btu project. LFG will be collected from Republic Services' Oak Grove Landfill in Winder, Georgia, and cleaned via a membrane-based separation technology before injection into a nearby natural gas pipeline. The project is expected to produce approximately 1 million MMBtu per year. The developers expect the project to be operational at the end of 2008, which will make it the first high-Btu LFGE project in Georgia. The project is part of Republic Services' "Clean and Reliable Energy" program.

Pennsylvania
The State Correctional Institution (SCI) in Somerset, Pennsylvania, is making strides towards becoming a greener facility. With the help of LMOP Industry Partner Johnson Controls, SCI is becoming more energy efficient and has plans to use LFG as a renewable energy source. SCI will be accessing LFG from nearby Mostoller Landfill to use as energy. The facility is now in the process of installing the pipes that will be used to access the LFG. SCI expects the project to be completed in early 2009. Combined with energy efficiency efforts, the project is expected to save SCI approximately $750,000 a year.

Florida
On May 8, 2008, Seminole County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of its LFGE plant at its landfill on Osceola Road in Geneva, Florida. The facility began generating 9.6 MW of electricity in December 2007 and is expected to operate for more than 40 years into the future. In November 2006, the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners approved a public-private partnership with Seminole Energy LLC to construct the LFGE plant at the landfill. Seminole Energy LLC, owned by LMOP Industry Partner Landfill Energy Systems, will purchase LFG from the County for 20 years. Seminole Electric Cooperative is purchasing the electricity for distribution to its customers.

An employee checks the new brick plant's burners, which combust methane (orange pipes) and natural gas (yellow pipes). Photo courtesy of Boral Bricks, Inc.

Indiana
On May 19, 2008, LFG began flowing to Boral Bricks, Inc. as an alternative fuel source for its new brick manufacturing plant in Terre Haute, Indiana. LFG is piped in at a rate of approximately 1,150 cubic feet per minute from LMOP Industry Partner Republic Services' Victory Environmental Services Landfill. The gas will power a brick kiln that operates 24 hours a day at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The LFG is eventually expected to power 95 to 99 percent of the kiln's energy needs. The new facility location was chosen because of its close proximity to both a landfill and a coal mine. The coal mine provides the facility with shale, which is a waste material for miners, but an important raw material in the brick-manufacturing process. The Terre Haute facility is the second Boral Bricks plant to use LFG. In 2006, Boral Bricks' plant in Union City, Oklahoma, started utilizing LFG from the Canadian County Landfill, reducing its natural gas use by a third.

Virginia
On April 18, 2008, LMOP Industry Partner Waste Management, Inc. celebrated the completion of its new LFGE facility at Bethel Landfill in Hampton, Virginia. The project utilizes six LMOP Industry Partner Caterpillar engines to produce 4.8 MW of electricity. The energy is used on-site for landfill operations, with excess power sold to the local utility. LFG produced at Bethel Landfill is expected to continue to provide power over the next several decades. This project is part of Waste Management's plan to build 60 new renewable energy facilities in the next five years. Waste Management announced plans to construct two more LFGE plants (King George County Landfill and the Middle Peninsula Landfill in Gloucester County) in Virginia. These two projects could generate an additional 19.2 MW of energy.

A renewable portfolio standard (RPS) is a legislative requirement for utilities to generate or sell a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable energy sources. As of May 1, 2008, 31 states, plus the District of Columbia, have enacted an RPS or a renewable portfolio goal (RPG) where LFG is potentially an eligible renewable resource (see the map below). Ohio is the latest state to implement an RPS, with Utah also recently enacting an RPG. Additionally, Vermont increased its renewable energy targets earlier this year.

Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have implemented RPS or RPG programs where LFG may be an eligible renewable resource.

Ohio
As part of a broad electric industry-restructuring bill (Senate Bill 221), Ohio established an RPS in May 2008. The legislation requires utilities to obtain 25 percent of their retail electricity supply from renewable energy and other advanced energy resources (e.g., clean coal, nuclear) by 2025. Eligible renewable energy resources include LFG, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biologically derived methane gas, fuel cells, and qualified hydroelectric facilities. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio will be responsible for developing rules to implement the RPS, such as a renewable energy certificate trading program, and ensuring compliance with the program. More details about the RPS are available from LMOP State Partner North Carolina Solar Center's Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy.

Ohio currently has five electricity-generating LFGE projects in place generating more than 37 MW, as well as 12 direct-use projects. Two additional LFGE electricity projects are under construction, with an anticipated capacity of 10 MW. LMOP's database includes information about an additional 22 candidate landfills in Ohio with a total potential of approximately 48 MW. For more information about LFGE opportunities in Ohio, contact Rachel Goldstein (goldstein.rachel@epa.gov) at 202-343-9391.

Utah
In March 2008, Utah passed The Energy Resource and Carbon Emission Reduction Act, which requires utilities to pursue renewable energy as long as it is "cost-effective" to do so. The Utah Public Service Commission is tasked to determine the cost-effectiveness of the energy acquisitions. When cost-effective, the RPG requires utilities to use eligible renewable resources to produce 20 percent of their adjusted retail electric sales by 2025. No interim targets have been established, but utilities must file progress reports every five years, beginning in 2010. Eligible renewable energy sources include LFG, solar, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, wave, tidal, or ocean-thermal energy, and geothermal. Purchases of renewable energy certificates will also be acceptable for compliance. More details about the RPG are available from LMOP State Partner North Carolina Solar Center's Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy.

Utah currently has three electricity-generating LFGE projects in place generating 5 MW. An additional LFG electricity project is under construction with an anticipated capacity of 4.6 MW. LMOP's database includes information about an additional five candidate landfills in Utah with a total potential of approximately 7 MW. Contact Tom Frankiewicz (frankiewicz.thomas@epa.gov) at 202-343-9232 for details about these landfills.

Vermont
Vermont enacted Senate Bill 209 to expand its previous RPG that encourages retail electricity providers to use qualifying renewables to meet the increased demand in retail electric sales between 2005 and 2012. The recent legislation passed in March set an additional goal of 20 percent of total electric retail sales statewide to be supplied by renewables by 2017. Further, 25 percent of all energy consumed within the state should be created from renewable energy sources by 2025. LFG is explicitly included in the definition of renewable energy for the bill, along with anaerobic digesters, sewage-treatment plants, and up to 200 MW of hydropower. The Vermont Public Service Board is charged with reporting the state's progress periodically. More details about the RPG are available from LMOP State Partner North Carolina Solar Center's Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy.

Vermont currently has three electricity-generating LFGE projects in place, generating more than 7 MW. Two additional LFG electricity projects are under construction, with an anticipated capacity of nearly 5 MW. For more information about projects in Vermont, contact Rachel Goldstein (goldstein.rachel@epa.gov) at 202-343-9391.

Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
On June 18, 2008, the Methane to Markets Landfill Subcommittee held its 8th annual subcommittee meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The subcommittee meeting was held in conjunction with the International Solid Waste Association’s Beacon Conference on Sanitary Landfills, that more than 300 people attended. Partner Countries in attendance included Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, India, and the United States. Additionally, Project Network members Ameresco, International Solid Waste Association, SCS Engineers, and Universidad Nacional Del Centro De La Provincia De Buenos Aires participated in the meeting.

The Subcommittee meeting featured presentations and discussions of country-specific strategies for promoting LFG projects. Partner Countries reached a consensus that the country-specific strategies should outline both domestic and international activities and offers of support relating to LFG recovery and use. The Subcommittee decided that Partner Countries should submit their strategies by November 30, 2008. The U.S. delegate briefed the Subcommittee on last year’s launch of the International Landfill Database. The Subcommittee decided that the database will include landfills with and without operational landfill gas energy projects. The Subcommittee also decided that they will link to existing landfill databases in Brazil and the United States. Finally, participants suggested that the Partner Country delegates could become a focal point for the project network members working in each country. Partner Countries also decided to draft terms defining the roles and responsibilities of each focal point. These roles discussed included: sending personal invitations and announcements to project network members within their countries for Methane to Markets events and grant solicitations, collecting technical data on landfills in their country, coordinating their country-specific landfill strategy, and organizing training workshops in their country.

Brazil
On April 15 and 16, 2008, LMOP, in support of the Methane to Markets Partnership, traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to increase awareness of LFGE project opportunities in Latin America. Presenting at the Carbonmarkets Americas Conference, LMOP's Victoria Ludwig presented an overview of methane capture as part of the event's LFG and waste management session. The session also included a case study for Sao Paulo's Bandeirantes Landfill, which reduces more than 1 million metric tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent annually. EPA conducted an assessment of this landfill. The objective of the conference was to bring together project developers, regulators, banks, and carbon market experts to discuss best practices in carbon project development and trading.

Colombia
LMOP, in support of the Methane to Markets Partnership, participated in a training workshop in Barranquilla, Colombia, on March 27 and 28, 2008. CIFAL-Atlanta, an international nonprofit that earlier this year received LMOP's Endorser of the Year award, helped organize the event. Topics included the basics of LFG capture, tools and resources available in Colombia to assist projects, and how to improve project economics. Forty participants attended the workshop, including several mayors. CIFAL-Atlanta is working with LMOP to provide similar training in other Latin American countries.

Participants from the LFG training workshop in Colombia visit the Cartagena Landfill.

For more information on LFGE opportunities in Latin America, please contact Victoria Ludwig (ludwig.victoria@epa.gov) at 202-343-9291.

RFP OPPORTUNITIES

Rapid City Public Works Department Solid Waste Division, Deadline: July 8, 2008
The Rapid City Public Works Department Solid Waste Division (South Dakota) is seeking proposals for professional services to conduct a non-methane organic compound investigation and LFG study at the Rapid City Landfill. The City seeks to determine the feasibility of beneficially utilizing the LFG from the landfill. The LFG study will include projected LFG generation from existing and future landfill cells, methane concentration of LFG, estimates of potential extraction rates, determination of potential uses for LFG, and cost and revenue estimates for extraction and utilization of LFG.

In order for a firm to be considered to provide professional services, the firm must submit a Statement of Interest to the City. The Statement of Interest can be submitted prior to or in conjunction with a project-specific proposal. A Statement of Interest must be on file for a firm to be considered for professional services. The City's Web site provides information on the City's consultant selection process and the submittal of statements of interest. The RFP is also available at this site.

Duke Energy Ohio, Notice of Intent to Bid Deadline: July 8, 2008
Duke Energy is seeking proposals for a supply portfolio of energy and capacity generated from, or for the sale of, a renewable energy resource, including LFG. Duke Energy is seeking a minimum of 61,000 MWh by the end of 2009, and 355,000 MWh by the end of 2012. Duke is releasing this request in response to anticipated requirements of the 2008 Ohio Energy Bill. The minimum project size for types other than solar is 1 MW. Renewable energy resources located in Ohio are preferred. Projects with a start-up date of 1/1/98 or later will be considered, as long as they are online by the end of 2012. The request for proposals is available on Duke Energy's Web site. Proposals are due on August 8, 2008.

U.S. Department of State, Proposal Deadline: July 11, 2008
As part of the U.S. Government's participation in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, the U.S. Department of State issued a request for assistance seeking proposals from U.S. and Chinese organizations interested in contributing to the Partnership's goals through innovative public-private partnerships. These goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions; advancing sustainable economic growth; reducing poverty; creating new investment opportunities; building local capacity; and improving economic and energy security. To qualify for funding a submitted proposal must demonstrate that the applicant and any partnering organizations will contribute resources to the proposed program that are at least equal to the level of resources sought in the grant application. Grants or cooperative agreements will be awarded in the range of $250,000 to $2,000,000. For detail information about this opportunity use the Grants.gov search tool and enter "S-OES-08-RFA-003" under Search by Funding Opportunity Number.

American Electric Power Service Corporation, Deadline: July 15, 2008
American Electric Power Service Corporation, a subsidiary of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP), is requesting proposals (PDF, 48 pp., 399 KB, About PDF) on behalf of Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company, collectively known as AEP Ohio. AEP Ohio provides service in both Ohio and West Virginia. This request seeks to acquire up to approximately 300 MW of new nameplate renewable energy resources that will be capable of being operational by December 31, 2010. Eligible resources include LFG, solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, and biofuels.

Tucson Electric Power Company and UNS Electric Inc., Deadline: September 5, 2008
Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP) and its affiliate UNS Electric Inc. (UNSE) are jointly soliciting proposals from parties interested in providing renewable energy and associated credits to TEP and UNSE through power purchase agreements and/or the ownership of generation assets. Renewable energy credits (RECs) or "green tags" must accompany any energy purchased by TEP/UNSE through this RFP. TEP/UNSE are interested in purchasing a minimum of 1 MW increments or blocks of renewable energy for a preferred minimum 10-year period from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2019. Other periods less than 10 years will also be considered. TEP/UNSE's annual aggregate renewable energy purchase and delivery target under this RFP is 150,000 MWh.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Updated LMOP Funding Guide
LMOP completed an update to its Web-based Funding Landfill Gas Projects: State, Federal, and Foundation Resources, available on the LMOP's Documents, Tools and Resources Web page. The funding guide includes many new and updated innovative funding programs and strategies that can help developers overcome financial barriers to successful LFGE projects. The funding guide consists of three main sections: State Resources, Federal Resources, and RPS. This document is not intended to be exhaustive, but designed to show the broad range of funding options available for LFGE projects. LMOP encourages its State Partners to help keep this document dynamic with new information. For more details or to provide updated or new funding information, please contact Victoria Ludwig (ludwig.victoria@epa.gov) at 202-343-9291.

EPA GHG Inventory
On April 15, 2008, EPA released its Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006. This annual report is part of the United States' commitment to report GHG emission sources under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Fossil fuel combustion represents the largest source of GHGs. The 2006 level of GHG emissions decreased by 1.1 percent over 2005 levels. EPA attributed this decrease to:

Although total U.S. GHG emissions have risen by 14.7 percent from 1990 to 2006, methane emissions have declined since 1990. During this time period, net U.S. methane emissions from landfills fell by 16 percent, although there were increases during interim years. In 2006, landfills were the second largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions and accounted for nearly 23 percent of total U.S. methane emissions. The downward trend in overall methane emissions is the result of increases in the amount of LFG used for energy generation, which has more than offset the additional methane emissions resulting from an increase in the amount of municipal solid waste landfilled.

Report Highlights Leading Utility Green Power Programs
In April 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) issued NREL Highlights Leading Utility Green Power Programs, (PDF, 7 pp., 380 KB, About PDF) which ranks the leading utility green power programs. These voluntary programs allow consumers to choose green power to support additional electricity production from renewable resources such as LFG, solar, and wind. More than 800 utilities across the United States offer these programs. Listed among the top green power programs are the following LMOP Energy Partners: Austin Energy, City of Palo Alto Utilities, Emerald People's Utility District, Indianapolis Power and Light, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

NEW LMOP PARTNERS

To learn more about these Partners, please visit the Partner page on the LMOP Web site.

News

FEATURE ARTICLES

RFP OPPORTUNITIES

ONLINE RESOURCES

NEW LMOP PARTNERS

HOW TO CONTACT LMOP