Easton Utilities has officially commissioned a Landfill Gas to Electric Generator, which is currently utilizing methane gas and converting it to green energy. “This project is mutually beneficial for the environment, our customers, and the Town of Easton,” stated Hugh E. Grunden, president and CEO of Easton Utilities.
Easton Utilities purchased a previously operated generator from the Worchester County Landfill, which created a very cost-effective solution. The expected life of the project in Easton is approximately eight to ten years, depending on the landfill’s ability to produce gas. Currently, landfill gas is extracted continuously and most of the gas is sent to the generator, which can produce up to one megawatt of electricity – enough to power approximately 700 homes. Maryland Environmental Service (MES) installed compressors at the landfill and is handling the logistics regarding supply and flow. “In the true sense of an ideal partnership, MES and Easton Utilities collaborated on this project from concept to completion,” added John E. Hines, Supervisor of Electrical Engineering and Design for Easton Utilities.
“MES, along with our partner Midshore Counties (Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot), is excited about our partnership with Easton Utilities, which will allow us to use landfill gas from the Midshore Landfill to generate clean energy,” stated Steven Tomczewski, Environmental Operations Executive Director for MES. “This project is part of a much larger commitment by MES to strengthen public and private partnerships which reinforce the State of Maryland’s commitment to sustainable development and environmental stewardship.”
The Landfill Gas to Electric Generator is just one component of the Easton Sustainability Campus, located at Easton’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. Construction of a two-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic solar array is set to begin in the coming months and will produce approximately 100% of the Wastewater Treatment Facility’s annual electrical consumption. “This 2 MW solar array is the most cost effective way to bring solar energy to every single Easton Utilities electric customer, regardless of housing situation, income, location, homeowner or renter,” added Grunden.
Co-located at the Town’s Enhanced Nutrient Removal Wastewater Treatment Facility, these projects create a system of multiple, diverse, renewable energy sources within our own community.
Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area.