Power Plant Enhances Power Supply with Landfill Gas-to-energy

La Crosse, WI and Eau Claire, WI— Eau Claire Energy Cooperative has facilitated a partnership between its wholesale power supplier and an area landfill to produce renewable energy to enhance the region’s power supply. Dairyland Power Cooperative has contracted with ONYX Waste Services, Inc., to purchase methane gas collected at the Seven Mile Creek Landfill in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The methane gas, a natural byproduct of the landfill, will be used by Dairyland to generate renewable energy for the residential and business consumers in the cooperative system.

The renewable resource will initially provide the fuel to generate 3 megawatts of electricity, powering approximately 2,600 homes, with potential expansion to 5 megawatts. The gas collection system is already in place and the landfill is expected to begin producing power in fall 2003. Some of the additional environmental benefits for each year the project is operational will equate to eliminating the carbon dioxide emissions from 22,000 cars, planting 30,000 acres of forest or the conservation of 240,000 barrels of oil.

Dairyland Power will own the generating equipment and will purchase the gas from ONYX, which owns the landfill and is a member of Eau Claire Energy Cooperative.