Coventry Plant—July 2005                                                                                                   Coventry Plant—September 2009

 

                                                                                     

WEC’s LANDFILL GAS TO ENERGY GENERATING FACILITY LOCATED IN COVENTRY, VERMONT, COMPLETED TESTING AND BEGAN GENERATING ELECTRICITY FULL TIME ON JULY 1, 2005!

AT INCREASED CAPACITY IN JANUARY 2007!

AND INCREASED CAPACITY IN JUNE 2009!

 

Washington Electric Co-op has built an electric generating facility at Vermont’s largest landfill in Coventry. The landfill is owned and operated by NEWSVT, a subsidiary of Casella Waste Management of Rutland, Vermont.

 

 Landfill methane is a renewable energy source. In addition to supplying about two-thirds of WEC’s members’ electricity needs at affordable, stable and long-term prices, the Co-op also is able to sell “Renewable Energy Certificates” to help companies in other New England states meet the requirements of Renewable Portfolio Standards. The competitively priced energy from the facility, combined with the sale of the Renewable Energy Certificates, means that the Coventry project will be of significant benefit to WEC and its members for many years to come.

 

WEC received approval to construct the project from the Vermont Public Service Board, as well as membership approval required by Vermont law, in June 2004. Construction began in December 2004 and the plant began generating fulltime on July 1, 2005. The original generating capacity was 4.8 MW.  In 2006, WEC received PSB approval to increase the generating capacity to 6.0 MW.  The installation of additional generating equipment was completed in January 2007. In 2008 the PSB and WEC’s membership approved a second expansion which will increase the generating capacity to 8.0 MW.  Installation of the fifth engine was completed in June 2009.

 

For more information, follow these links:

 

Co-op Members Support Expansion

 

Project Brochure, prepared for Open House, September 17, 2005; Revised to include 4th engine, June 2007; Revised to include 5th engine.

Project Participants

 

Poem—“Needs”, written in honor of the event.

 

Co-op Currents member newsletter articles, from the project announcement and several updates as the project progressed and began operations.

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website for general information about landfill methane to energy projects.

 

 

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