Green effort in Ava will turn gas into electricity
Story Created:
Sep 17, 2009 at 4:30 PM EST
Story Updated:
Sep 17, 2009 at 4:30 PM EST
AVA, N.Y. (WKTV) -Three years after opening a landfill in Ava, the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority has announced plans to convert something everyone generates - waste - into something everyone uses - electricity.
Beginning in 2010, the waste authority will collect methane gas produced by decomposing garbage and send it through a combustion engine to create electricity.
That electricity will be able to light up 6,000 area homes within 15 years, according to Solid Waste Authority projections.
"It's not a guarantee that such electricity will be used locally," said Boonville Mayor Michael Kramer. "It's still economics. We haven't negotiated what the purchase price would be. Also, it would depend on the supply that we need."
For helping transmit electricity, Boonville stands to receive some form of profit, Kramer said. However, he's unsure what it would be. The remainder of electricity will go into the national electric grid.
Waste Authority President William Rabbia said it's unknown how much revenue this process will generate.
A Request for Proposals has been sent out in an effort to attract proposals for "landfill gas to electricity" from prospective developers.
Rabbia said between October and year's end, he'll likely know which energy developer will be chosen.
The Town of Ava annually receives $350,000 for hosting the site, and Boonville gets $45,000 for their part in hosting the site..
