Your trash produces landfill gas

WEST JORDAN — Many people turn green when inhaling the methane stench that emanates from local landfills.

Starting a few weeks ago, one Salt Lake Valley dump embraced that concept with open arms, using its gas to pump "green energy" into the power grid.

The project that brought together Trans-Jordan Landfill, Granger Power and Murray city five years ago has been brought to fruition.

To sum it up in the words of a sign posted at the landfill entrance, "Your trash gives us gas."

"No longer is waste going to waste at the Trans-Jordan Landfill," said Murray Mayor Dan Snarr. "Landfills are an engineering marvel, and they have truly captured my imagination."

The project kicked off officially Thursday with lunch, speeches and "green" swag such as neon light bulbs and reusable grocery bags. The new plant's maximum capacity is 4.5 megawatts of electricity, and the project is already emitting most of that, said Murray Power general manager Blaine Haacke.

It's the fourth such plant in the state — following the Salt Lake County landfill and two methane plants in Davis County that serve Hill Air Force Base — but it's also the largest.

The Trans-Jordan methane recovery system was funded by multiple sources, including a $500,00 investment from Murray city. That taxpayer investment was recently offset by a $209,000 federal grant, according to Murray chief of staff Jan Wells.

The landfill, which is cooperatively owned among several Utah cities, also spent about $1.5 million on the project. Granger spent several times that amount but did not release specific numbers.

Murray City Councilman Jim Brass sells solar tiles for a living and calls himself a convert to green power.

"I think that whether you believe in global warming or not it's become the political and economic reality," Brass said.

Beyond making Murray residents feel good about their energy use, the new methane system provides electricity that is both consistent — it is generated 24 hours a day — and immune from price hikes, Wells said. Methane production is one of just two renewable energy sources that can make that claim.

The city also acquired renewable energy certificates, known as green tags, as part of the deal with Granger and Trans-Jordan. The tags can be sold to corporations for up to $4 per megawatt hour, Haacke said. Murray has been selling the certificates for about three years and also receives credits from a methane plant at the county landfill, he said.

Future Murray residents may also benefit from the green tags if, at some point in the future, legislative mandates force the use of renewable energy, Haacke said.

"We played that into our equation when we did the economics for this," he added.

Soon, all landfills could use methane recovery, said Trans-Jordan director Dwayne Woolley. Because methane is a greenhouse gas, some landfills are required to capture it.

Many just burn off the methane, wasting potential and increasing pollution.

"This is doable, in every single state, in every single country," said Dianne Nielson, energy advisor to Gov. Jon Hunstman Jr. "We're going to be the leaders to show the way."

E-MAIL: rpalmer@desnews.com