Jan 29 2010
The Glendale Energy Power Plant, a biogas plant at the city of Glendale’s municipal landfill, has started sending its entire output of energy to APS customers. The 2.8-megawatt biogas plant is owned and operated by Sexton Energy’s subsidiary, Glendale Energy LLC.
Stuart Kent, City of Glendale’s Director of Field Operations, said that the landfill is an important resource for the city helping the community to dispose the entire city’s waste. Now it provides energy to Glendale and its surrounding areas, he added.
Highly-flammable gas comprising mainly of methane is created at landfills due to the decomposition of organic materials. The gas would be normally burned off due to safety reasons. Glendale Energy Power Plant utilizes the gas created at the landfill as a fuel for two large combustion engines. A shaft from a generator is connected to the engines, and when the engines are operating, electricity is produced.
Glendale Energy and APS have entered into a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) through which the customers of APS receive energy from the biogas plant. APS’ renewable energy portfolio includes geothermal, wind, biomass and solar totaling 245 MW. In the utility’s renewable energy portfolio, this is the first biogas project. The combined renewable energy from the utility including power from the Glendale facility is enough to meet the electricity needs of 60,000 households.
Brad Albert, APS’s General Manager of Strategic Planning and Resource Acquisition, said that the biogas project demonstrates how good working relationship between developers, utilities, and local municipalities can provide more clean and renewable energy to the state of Arizona.
Source: http://www.sextonenergy.com/