Coca-Cola/Hickory Ridge and Watauga County Landfill Projects Recognized for Transforming Waste into a Green Community Asset

EPA Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:January 30, 2013
Coca-Cola/Hickory Ridge and Watauga County Landfill Projects Recognized for Transforming Waste into a Green Community Asset

Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

ATLANTA -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized two regional landfills for generating renewable energy from a local source while protecting the climate, providing energy savings and strengthening the economy.

 Regional awardees include:

Coca-Cola and Hickory Ridge Landfill Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Project, Conley, Ga.: Mas Energy, the Coca-Cola Company, and Republic Services developed a project that provides Coca-Cola’s Atlanta Syrup Plant with a continuous supply of green electricity, steam, and chilled water. This project, the first landfill gas energy project for Coca-Cola, supplies nearly all of the plant’s energy needs and results in real energy savings for the company.

 Watauga County Landfill Small Electricity Project, Boone, N.C.: Watauga County developed this model 186 kilowatt (kW) project at a small, unlined landfill closed for 18 years by creatively employing modified automotive engines and the assistance of the Appalachian State University (ASU) Energy Center. The project provides economic benefits for the county and one-of-a-kind research opportunities for ASU students and faculty.

 In total, eight landfill methane utilization projects and partners from across the U.S. will be recognized at the 16^th Annual Landfill Methane Outreach Program Conference in Baltimore, Md. on January 30, 2013.

 This year's eight winning projects and partners will avoid the emissions equal to the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from more than 52,000 passenger vehicles. The seven electricity-generating projects total approximately 50 megawatts of generation capacity, and the direct-use project uses 50 standard cubic feet per minute of landfill gas.

 The remaining six awardees include: Gundersen Health System and La Crosse County Landfill Combined Heat and Power Project (Wis.), Landfill Energy Systems (Mich.), Lycoming County Landfill Dual Cogeneration and Electricity Project (Pa.), Millersville Landfill Electricity Project (Md.), Olinda Alpha Landfill Combined Cycle Project (Calif.), and St. Landry Parish Landfill Compressed Natural Gas Project (La.).

EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program is a voluntary assistance and partnership program that reduces GHG emissions by supporting landfill gas energy project development. The program has assisted with more than 560 landfill gas energy projects over the past 18 years, transforming waste into a green community asset. The U.S. currently has about 600 operational landfill gas energy projects.

 More information: http://www.epa.gov/lmop

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