PPL Renewable Energy and the Lycoming County Commissioners unveiled a new landfill gas-to-energy facility today at the Lycoming County Resource Management Services landfill in Montgomery, Pa.
"Our relationship with Lycoming County allows PPL Renewable Energy to provide energy in an environmentally responsible manner to the benefit of the community," said Rick Klingensmith, president of PPL Global.
The new 6-megawatt facility, which includes two 3-megawatt power plants, will capture methane from decomposing trash and use it to generate up to 50 million kilowatt-hours per year of electricity. That's enough to power 4,000 homes.
The plant will supply power to the Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex and to the region's electric grid. The county will use heat from the power plant's engines to heat county facilities.
Landfill gas-to-energy systems have a dual benefit for the environment by generating electricity from renewable fuel while also eliminating emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas. The power produced from renewable energy also helps limit carbon dioxide emissions. The Lycoming County facility is expected to prevent up to 34,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, or about the same amount as removing 6,700 cars from the road.
"This new facility will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and add a reliable source of renewable power in the community," said Klingensmith.
"It's a great example of public and private entities coming together to find creative solutions that help meet today's energy needs while conserving natural resources."
Lycoming County Resource Management Services, a division of Lycoming County government, has been operating the landfill since 1978 under a permit granted in 1973. The 513-acre site is located on property owned by the Federal Bureau of Prisons adjacent to the Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex.
