6.1. ERMUSR 11-12-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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LES gas-to-energy plant goes on line Nov. 1 Page 2 of 2 the equipment, including pipeline, construction, engineering and other expenses has totaled $11.32 million. That is about 8.75 percent under the project budget of$12.93 million, LES said. LES's retail sales will be supplied by approximately 12 percent renewable energy with the addition of the project's units, LES Administrator and CEO Kevin Wailes said during the dedication. By 2016, the amount of renewable energy will jump to 23 percent when the utility adds 100 new megawatts of wind-generated energy that was secured through a power purchase agreement earlier this summer, said Wailes (See Public Power Daily, Aug. 6, 2013). This project is unique, compared to the utility's other intermittent renewable energy sources, because the landfill gas units can be dispatched, said Wailes. Most of the time, with renewable energy, "you're somewhat at nature's whim," said Wailes. The landfill gas units, though, "can run all of the time, or we can actually dispatch them to meet certain periods of loads," he said. "That makes them even more valuable." The plant is recovering gas from 60 acres of the 171-acre landfill, LES said. There is potential for 1,600 kilowatts of expansion, which the utility has the first rights to purchase. LES also has a 15-year extension option at the end of the 20-year agreement since the landfill is not expected to reach capacity until 2035, LES said. —FALLON FORBUSH 132 http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/print-V2.asp?aid=239797 10/28/2013