 | |  Salt Lake Valley Landfill Gas Energy Project with Murray City Power
| Location | Murray, Utah | | End User(s) | Murray City Power | | Sector(s) | Utility | | Landfill(s) | Salt Lake Valley Landfill | | Landfill Size | 11 million tons waste-in-place (2002) | | Project Type | Reciprocating Engine (two 800 kW engines and one 1.6 MW engine) | | Project Size | 3 megawatts (MW) | | Environmental Benefits | Carbon sequestered annually by 3,400 acres of pine or fir forests, annual greenhouse gas emissions from 2,700 passenger vehicles, or carbon dioxide emissions from 34,600 barrels of oil consumed. Annual energy savings equate to powering 1,900 homes. Estimated emissions reductions of 0.0041 million metric tons of carbon equivalents. | | LMOP Partners Involved | DTE Biomass Energy, Landfill Energy Systems, Murray City Power |
 Persistence pays. After a disappointing initial cost/benefit analysis and a unanimous "no" vote by the city council on a proposed landfill gas (LFG) energy project, Murray City Power (MCP) could have walked away with its head down. Instead, the Utah power utility kept its chin up in its pursuit of environmental stewardship and walked away with a successful project and LMOP’s 2006 Energy Partner of the Year award.
MCP developed a creative time-of-use pricing mechanism that proved to be a winner for all parties. The project’s power costs parallel daily and seasonal market pricing, providing pricing and cash flow advantages to MCP, while achieving financial thresholds for the facility owners over a 10-year contract.
The project’s highlights include the following:
- 3 MW boosts MCP’s renewable energy power supply to 8 percent of its portfolio.
- 8-mile transmission line ties in with Rocky Mountain Power.
- Widespread publicity, including local, regional, and national audiences.
- American Public Power Association’s E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award, the highest public power honor in the United States and Canada.
At the grand opening, over 100 people heard speakers including representatives from EPA Region 8, the Utah Governor’s Energy Advisor, and the CEO of DTE Biomass Energy. The project’s success led to interest by other municipalities, including Logan, Utah and Fallon, Nevada.
The project is enhancing the recovery of methane from the landfill, benefiting the air quality in the Salt Lake Valley, as well as capturing the energy value of the gas with conversion to usable electricity. —Gary Merrill, General Manager, MCP Last Updated: 8/18/2008
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