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Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP)
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Begin Hierarchical LinksEPA Home > Climate Change > Methane > Voluntary Programs > LMOP > Energy Projects and Candidate Landfills > LFG Energy Project Profiles > East Kentucky Power Co-op Green Power Program End Hierarchical Links

Photo collage of landfill gas collection systems, landfill methane utilization options (i.e., greenhouses, electricity), and the LMOP logoEast Kentucky Power Co-op Green Power Program

Self Developed (absence of third party developer) image

LocationWalton, Kentucky
End User(s)East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC)
Sector(s)Utility
Landfill(s)Bavarian Trucking Company Landfill
Landfill Size4.58 million tons waste-in-place
Project TypeReciprocating Engine
Project Size3.2 megawatts (MW)
Environmental BenefitsAnnual greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to planting 38,300 acres of forest, removing the emissions of 26,900 vehicles, or preventing the use of 326,000 barrels of oil. Annual energy savings equate to powering 2,000 homes. Estimated emissions reductions of 0.038 million metric tons of carbon equivalents.
Photo of four Caterpillar reciprocating engines used to generate electricity at the East Kentucky Power Co-op LFGE project at Bavarian Trucking Company Landfill in Kentucky.

The Bavarian Landfill located in Boone County, Kentucky went from a passive landfill gas (LFG) system to an active system producing 3.2 MW of power in 1 year. The East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) initiated, developed, and financed the project at a cost of $4 million, from which the cooperative expects a 10-year payback. The project came online with two other EKPC projects at Green Valley (Greenup County, KY) and Laurel Ridge (Lily, KY) in September 2003.

The project's highlights include:

  • The plant is one of Kentucky’s first power plants that will convert LFG to electrical energy.
  • Bavarian’s collection and control system cost an estimated $1.5 million, which the landfill expects to have a 15-year payback.
  • EKPC sells the resulting green power to four of its 16 cooperatives, who then offer green power to customers.
  • Generates clean, renewable energy.
  • Generates awareness and demand for renewable energy.

EKPC is one of over a dozen electric cooperatives participating in EnviroWatts, a program in which customers can purchase green power. Green power programs are gaining in popularity as electric cooperatives and industrial and residential customers think more about their environmental impact.

I think the [EnviroWatts] program is going to have a tremendous impact. The positive impact of these facilities on the environment reflects positively on the effort of people at EKPC and our member co-ops who have contributed to the program’s success. —Project Manager Ralph Tyree, quoted in an EKPC news release.

Last Updated: 9/2/2005


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