Clark Floyd Landfill Methane Generation Project 

Indiana electric cooperative consumers have a new option for choosing clean renewable energy to power their homes.

Hoosier Energy has constructed an electricity generation plant at the Clark-Floyd Landfill that produces two megawatts of renewable energy.

Cooperative leaders, local officials and guests gathered at the Clark County REMC headquarters October 15, 2007, to dedicate the landfill methane generation (LMG) project, which was completed in October.

At two megawatts of capacity, the $4 million landfill generation project provides enough electricity for about 1,200 typical homes. The landfill is located on a 400-acre site in Clark County.

Clark and Floyd County Commissioners authorized sale of methane gas from the landfill to produce electricity from Hoosier Energy’s generators. Electricity will be delivered to the power grid over Clark County REMC’s distribution system.

The plant features two General Electric reciprocating engines that operate on methane gas, a landfill byproduct from waste decomposition.

Production cost of power is compared favorably to wholesale market prices. The landfill renewable power makes up a portion of the power supply for Hoosier Energy members – 17 central and southern Indiana electric cooperatives and one southeastern Illinois cooperative that distribute power to 700,000 residents, industries, businesses and farms.

Construction of the plant began in early 2007. The project received a $100,000 Alternative Power and Energy Program grant from the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development. As well, the project was approved for Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREB) financing under a program authorized by the 2005 Energy Policy Act.

The plant is a key component of Hoosier Energy’s renewable energy policy designed to conserve the use of traditional fuels. The policy encourages developing efficient, economical renewable energy resources.

The power supply cooperative’s renewable energy initiatives include solar panel and wind turbine pilot projects planned for five Indiana sites in 2008. Hoosier Energy is assessing additional cost-effective renewable energy projects including coal bed methane, animal waste, wood waste, solar and wind technologies.

Based in Bloomington, Hoosier Energy operates baseload power plants, peaking stations and a power delivery network spanning 1,450 miles in central and southern Indiana.