MAY 2008 American Recycler Newspaper

Georgia Power has now signed another long-term contract with an independent renewable generator that will produce electricity from landfill waste.

Georgia Power and Georgia Waste To Energy Cedar Grove LLC, in partnership with America’s Waste To Energy, penned a 10 year deal for electricity that will be generated from everyday household trash. The power will come from the Cedar Grove gasification facility in Barnesville, Georgia. The material used to make electricity will come from household garbage delivered to the Lamar County Regional Solid Waste Landfill.

The Cedar Grove facility initially will produce six megawatts of renewable energy annually and plans to expand its generation capacity to 18 megawatts within the year. Under the contract, Georgia Power will purchase 100 percent of the plant’s capacity.

This marks the first contract Georgia Power has signed for electricity generated through a gasification process. This process will not only produce renewable generation, it will also clean the existing landfill.

“By tapping into the power of biomass gasification to make electricity, Georgia Power is not only doing what’s good for the environment but is also continuing to diversify its expanding renewable portfolio throughout the state,” said Jeff Burleson, director of Resource Policy and Planning.

Georgia Power also currently purchases approximately 22,500 annual megawatt-hours from a landfill methane gas plant in DeKalb County that produces electricity from household waste, nearly 90 percent of which has become part of the company’s Green Energy program.

With the addition of this contract, Georgia Power’s energy portfolio includes contracts with seven qualified biomass and renewable facilities throughout the state that will generate 136 megawatts of capacity, or enough renewable energy to power more than 34,000 homes. These contracts include electricity generated from wood waste, landfill methane gas and hydro. Georgia Power also buys energy from eight other renewable sources when available.