MONTGOMERY— One man’s trash may truly be another man’s treasure. Gov. Bob Riley has awarded two economic stimulus grants to convert methane and landfill gasses into clean, renewable energy which will save money and create job opportunities.
A $500,000 grant will enable the city of Scottsboro to partner with Jackson County to convert landfill gasses into electricity. In addition, Southeastern Cheese Corp. in Uniontown is receiving a $482,983 grant to install equipment to capture methane gas and use it as a power source.
“Converting waste products into a valuable energy source saves money and is good for the environment,” said Riley. “These projects are a wise investment for taxpayers and our economy.”
The Green Power project being implemented by the city of Scottsboro and Jackson County will collect landfill gasses, including methane, at the Scottsboro Landfill. The captured gasses will be used to power an on-site generator that will provide more than enough electricity to operate the landfill facility. The excess electricity that is generated will be sold to the North Alabama Electric Cooperative. A flare system will be installed to burn away any excess gas, preventing the greenhouse gas from being released into the atmosphere.
City officials estimate that energy savings combined with the buy-back rate paid by the power company will add up to approximately $100,000 per year during the next decade.
Southeastern Cheese currently uses natural gas boilers to generate steam which powers the majority of its cheese-making process. The grant will allow the company to install a system that uses methane to heat the boilers. The company’s dairy and cheese plants produce methane as a byproduct of their operation.
By eliminating the need to buy natural gas, the new system will save the company approximately $500,000 per year, help it remain competitive and create more than 10 additional jobs, Southeastern Cheese officials said.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The grants are part of $9.6 million awarded by Riley as part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. The program helps local governments and eligible organizations improve energy efficiency of facilities and vehicles, reduce fossil fuel emissions and create or retain jobs.
Riley notified Patrick Rankin, president of Southeastern Cheese, and Scottsboro Mayor Melton Potter that the grants had been approved.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Larry Childers