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Landfill Methane Feasibility Study
The Mountain Institute has completed a feasibility study on the use of landfill methane -- currently a wasted resource on most landfills -- to support enterprise development. For a copy of the report (.pdf file, 44 pages), click here.
Prepared by:
Excerpts from the Introduction:
This report explores the prospects in West Virginia to economically turn landfill gas (LFG)—an energy-rich resource now released directly into the atmosphere or flared—into an asset, thereby reducing harmful emissions and providing energy to support local businesses and communities.
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Compared with other states, the use of LFG in West Virginia is lagging. According to Figure 1, West Virginia is one of only ten states with no LFG-to-energy projects. In contrast, 64 projects are operational in West Virginia’s five neighboring states. Although West Virginia landfills are small, LFG-to-energy projects have been installed on 33 other small landfills across the country, as shown in Table 1.West Virginia landfills face unique challenges for converting LFG into energy. These challenges can be overcome and projects can be built, given the right mix of financial incentives, local champions, and sound landfill management.
Challenges in West Virginia include:
• Few open landfills.
• Small size of landfills.
• Low price of electricity.
• Need for incentives.
• Poor communication of financial incentives.
• Lack of state and local incentives.
This report considers these challenges as it evaluates the prospects for developing LFG-to-energy projects in West Virginia. Audiences for this report are diverse, and include landfill owners and operators, agency staff, potential end users, and potential project champions.
Read more about the challenges and prospects for developing LFG-to-energy projects in West Virginia in the report. |
