INDIANAPOLIS – October 28, 2016 – Indianapolis-based Wabash Valley Power Association, an electric generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative, has added its 16th landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) generating plant to its power supply portfolio. The Liberty III plant is located at Waste Management of Indiana’s landfill located near Buffalo, Indiana in White County and joins two existing plants at the facility. The Liberty I plant began operations in 2005, and Liberty II began generating power in 2010.
The completion of this project brings Wabash Valley Power’s total generating capacity at its LFGTE plants to 53.6 megawatts (MW), producing enough energy to power 40,000 average-sized homes. Via an arrangement with Waste Management of Indiana, Wabash Valley has built 16 generating facilities at nine landfills throughout the northern half of Indiana. The electricity represents a highly reliable energy source for the company, which also buys wind-generated energy from facilities in White County, as well as Illinois and Iowa.
Double the Size, Twice the Power
“Each Landfill gas facility typically produces enough electricity to power 3,500 homes. However, the Liberty III plant is double our normal size at 6.4 MW of generating capacity,” reported Brian Fitzgerald, executive vice president, Wabash Valley Power. “The decomposition of garbage creates landfill gas, which consists primarily of methane and CO2. In most landfills, that gas is burned off into the atmosphere, but by capturing the gas before it is released, we’re able to transform it into electricity.”
According to CEO Jay Bartlett, “We pursue renewable generation whenever it makes good economic sense for our members, because it’s simply the right thing to do. Our strategy from the beginning has been to explore an array of fuel types to create the electricity needed by our members. We fundamentally believe that creating a diverse set of power supply options and energy efficiency programs is the most effective way to provide reliable and affordable electricity.”
About Wabash Valley Power
Wabash Valley Power Association is an Indianapolis-based not-for-profit electric generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative. The G&T provides wholesale electricity to 23 retail electric distribution cooperatives in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri who serve 311,000 homes, farms, and businesses. WVPA supports renewable energy by owning landfill gas generation and purchasing the output of wind farms and biogas generators. Wabash Valley Power sells, separately, the environmental attributes associated with this generation to its members and third parties, and therefore does not claim the generation as renewable within our own supply portfolio.
For more information, contact Lisa Richardson, Communications Manager:
Office: 317-481-2831
Cell: 317-519-3421