Renewable Energy Will Power 2,600 Homes in Dairyland’s Cooperative System
LA CROSSE and EAU CLAIRE, Wis., April 12 /PRNewswire/ — Dairyland Power Cooperative and Eau Claire Energy Cooperative announce the operation of the ONYX Seven Mile Creek Landfill gas-to-energy facility in Eau Claire. The three unit, 3 megawatt renewable energy facility is now operational, with the ability to provide electricity to over 2,600 homes.
Dairyland contracted with ONYX Waste Services, Inc., to purchase methane gas collected at the Seven Mile Creek Landfill, a regional collector of residential waste. The methane gas, a natural byproduct of the landfill, is used by Dairyland to generate renewable energy for the residential and business consumers in the cooperative system.
Dairyland contracted with Ameresco to design, engineer and construct this facility. Dairyland owns the generating equipment and purchases the gas from ONYX, which owns the landfill and is a member of Eau Claire Energy Cooperative.
The environmental benefits are significant. Prior to the facility’s operation, the energy from the methane gas created by the landfill was wasted, simply burned off into the atmosphere. Local air quality will benefit, as the gas will now be harnessed as a “green” energy source.
“Now, this is progress. We are making the world a cleaner place simply by making the electricity we all need in our modern lives with this new facility. Cooperative members want more renewable energy in their power supply, and Dairyland is excited to provide the latest in efficient renewable generation to their local energy cooperatives,” said Dairyland Power Cooperative President and CEO William Berg.
In addition, landfill gas is a reliable energy resource, enabling the power generators to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is good for the environment and good for consumers who depend on a constant energy supply.
“Turning this great renewable energy idea into reality required the cooperation of many people, working together. Eau Claire Energy Cooperative, ONYX, Ameresco and Dairyland staff pursued this opportunity jointly. As a team, we were able to bring this facility online, on-time for Dairyland members,” said Dairyland Project Manager Tony McKimmy.
Dairyland currently supplies renewable energy to its member distribution cooperatives from its Flambeau Hydro Station near Ladysmith, Wis., and from participation in two wind farms in southwestern Minnesota. In addition, Dairyland is developing a manure digester program at several dairy farms in its service territory, which are scheduled to begin generating renewable energy in late 2004.
With headquarters in La Crosse, Wis., Dairyland provides wholesale electricity to Eau Claire Energy Cooperative (Fall Creek, Wis.) and 24 other member distribution cooperatives and 20 municipal utilities. Dairyland’s service area encompasses 62 counties in four states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois). Dairyland has provided low-cost, reliable electrical energy and related services to its customers in the upper Midwest for over 62 years.
Eau Claire Energy Cooperative provides reliable and affordable electricity, propane gas, and related energy services to residential, business and farm members in Eau Claire County plus portions of Chippewa, Dunn, Pepin, Buffalo, Trempealeau and Jackson counties. As a Touchstone Energy Partner, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative prides itself in the personal service it offers to over 9,500 members. For more information about Eau Claire Energy Cooperative contact them at 715-832-1603 or 1-888-832-1604. Or visit their Web site at www.ecec.com .
ONYX Waste Services is one of the largest solid waste management organizations in North America, providing a full range of services to more than 125,000 commercial / industrial firms and one million residences in 11 states, the Bahamas and Mexico. ONYX operates 49 collection facilities and 26 solid waste sanitary landfill facilities in the United States. ONYX was the 2002 U.S. EPA Industry Partner of the Year.
Ameresco, a national energy services provider and leader in the development of landfill-gas-to-energy projects, offers comprehensive solutions for its clients by providing a wide range of services including project design, financing, construction and management of the landfill gas system and energy plants. Ameresco, winner of the U.S. EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program Ally of the Year, 2003 and Project of the Year, 2003, is committed to developing renewable and sustainable energy generation world-wide.
Source: Dairyland Power Cooperative
CONTACT: Tony McKimmy, Project Manager, +1-608-787-1463, Deb Mirasola,
Manager, Communications, +1-608-787-1378, or Katie Thomson, Communications
Specialist, +1-608-787-1323, all of Dairyland Power Cooperative, or Bryan
Johnson, Project Development Engineer, +1-262-971-1392, or Mark Vinall,
General Manager, Seven Mile Creek Landfill, +1-715-830-0284, both of ONYX
Waste Services, or Mary Kay Brevig, Manager, Communications, +1-715-832-1603,
ext. 218, or John Luehrsen, President and CEO, +1-715-832-1603, ext. 246, both
of Eau Claire Energy Cooperative
