ETHANOL BUSINESS

Fargo’s Cashing In On Green

January 12th, 2009 | Author: Mr Ethanol

In-Forum:
Green initiatives are bringing in nearly $2 million a year in revenue for the city of Fargo and helping to leave some green in taxpayers’ pockets, city officials say.

Harvesting and selling methane from the landfill, selling carbon credits, and selling wastewater for use at a nearby ethanol plant are turning a profit for the city, Enterprise Director Bruce Grubb said.

“We kind of became green before green became fashionable,” said Grubb, who oversees the city’s water, wastewater and solid waste systems.

A methane collection well field, funded with a federal zero percent interest loan, was installed at the landfill in 2001, and expanded in 2006, Grubb said. He said it now:

* Supplies gas to a Cargill agriculture processing plant, bringing in $125,000 a year.

* Is used to generate electricity to sell to Cass County Electric, $300,000 a year.

* Uses generator waste heat to warm the landfill’s transfer building, $75,000 a year. The building also has solar panels and a small wind turbine.

Also, selling or destroying methane, a greenhouse gas, entitles the city to sell carbon credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange.

Fargo is credited with keeping about 100,000 tons of carbon out of the atmosphere a year, Grubb said. That translates into $350,000 to $400,000 a year, Grubb said.

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