Ameresco to Build Power Plant Using Republic Landfill Gas
Silicon Valley Power has signed a long-term power purchase agreement to purchase the renewable energy captured from Republic Services’ Vasco Road Landfill in Livermore, Calif.
Republic Services' Vasco Road Landfill in Livermore, Calif., will be home to a new 4.3 megawatt landfill gas-to-electricity (LFGTE) plant that will be designed, built, owned, and operated by Ameresco, Inc., an independent energy efficiency and renewable energy company. Republic Services is the second largest environmental services company in the United States.
As part of the $13 million project, Ameresco plans to capture the landfill gas generated at the landfill and use it as fuel to generate power for homes and businesses in the Santa Clara and San Francisco Bay Area. The project is scheduled to commence operations in late 2012.
“The Vasco Road project is Republic’s seventh landfill-gas-to-energy venture in California, representing nearly 41 MW of electricity,” said Brian Bales, executive vice president business development for Republic. “In addition to converting gas from a landfill into renewable-based electricity, the project’s construction and operation will add new green jobs and economic benefits to the local economy, and it will help the state meet its commitment to increase its renewable energy portfolio standard.”
“We are excited to proceed forward with this new renewable energy project in California,” said Mike Bakas, senior vice president, renewable energy at Ameresco. “This project, along with many others that we’ve successfully completed in California, will support the state’s ambitious goal of 33 percent renewable generation by the year 2020. We are pleased to work with our partners and laud their dedication to creating a more sustainable environment.”
The landfill gas project is one of Republic Services’ 73 alternative energy projects at its landfills nationwide.
Ameresco has entered into a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with Silicon Valley Power, the city of Santa Clara’s electric utility, for the power from the project.
By using the landfill gas, the direct and avoided emissions are equivalent to removing 30,000 cars off of the road or planting more than 36,000 acres of pine trees over the term of the contract.
The Vasco Road Landfill, which is owned and operated by Republic Services, opened in 2001 and is one of the main recipients of refuse from residents and businesses in the North Livermore rural area. The landfill covers 323 acres of land and employs more than 14 area residents.
Ameresco, Inc., incorporated in Delaware in April 2000, offer such solutions as upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure, and the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy plants. With headquarters in Framingham, Mass., the company has 55 offices in 29 states and four Canadian provinces.