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Webinar: Bioenergy + Combined Heat & Power Benefits for Municipalities

June 17, 2020 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Free

Webinar: Bioenergy + Combined Heat & Power Benefits for Municipalities

June 17, 1-2:10 p.m. EDT

As more and more cities realize the need for resilience at critical water and wastewater system facilities and others sign on to renewable energy commitments or carbon reduction goals, the need for creative energy solutions becomes increasingly important. Luckily, municipalities and local governments have access to a plethora of fuel just waiting to become a clean energy source.

By utilizing waste streams through anaerobic digestion or methane capture at wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and landfills, cities and counties can generate electricity and thermal energy using CHP while simultaneously reducing emissions.

Benefits of CHP at WWTP facilities include:

  • Cost savings for the utility and customers
  • Enhanced energy resilience
  • Significant reduction of emissions
  • Renewable fuel source

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are only 295 existing wastewater and / or solid waste facilities in the U.S., that use biomass as a feedstock. That leaves quite a bit of opportunity for turning waste into energy. For WWTP sites alone, the technical potential is estimated at 262 MW of power at 1,303 sites in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy​.

Hear from two bio-energy CHP end-users in the Southeast:

In 2017, the ​McAlpine Creek​ wastewater facility in Pineville, NC, was the state’s first WWTP to install a biogas fueled CHP system. McAlpine uses the process heat and generates renewable electricity and associated credits that are sold to the grid. The site obtained a 20-year zero-percent interest loan from the state of North Carolina’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund​ for the project, which reduces site emissions by 5,586 metrictons of CO2e, annually.

The ​Three Rivers Regional Solid Waste Management Authority​ in Pontotoc, MS, turns their waste to energy using 2G technology. The power generated (enough to power almost 1,000 homes annually) supports the local power grid through the Tennessee Valley Authority. The value of emissions reductions is equivalent to 4.7 million gallons of gasoline.

Speakers:

  • Isaac Panzarella, Director, DOE Southeast CHP TAP
  • Jon McDonald, Three Rivers Planning & Development District
  • Will Rice, McAlpine Wastewater Management Facility
  • Sarah Hazel, Office of Sustainability, Charlotte

Register here.

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