The Golden Triangle Regional Solid Waste Management Authority has received the go-ahead to build the first “green” generator in the state fueled by methane gas.
Public Service Commission Chairman Brandon Presley announced Thursday that the board unanimously approved the $2 million project, which should be online at the GTR Landfill in Clay County by Aug. 1.
Besides sparking enough electricity to power about 1,000 homes, the 999-kilowatt generator will also create a permanent position for a generator technician.
The PSC decision was the last legal hurdle for the Authority, which plans to begin building the generator in either April or May, said Authority Executive Director Jimmy Sloan.
The Tennessee Valley Authority has agreed to buy the environmentally friendly electricity at a rate of 3 cents per kilowatt hour above the retail rate and fuel cost adjustments through its Generation Partners program.
The project is expected to pay for itself within about five years, Sloan said.
The generator will plug into the 4-County Electric Power Association system, which is the electricity provider for the landfill and a TVA member.
Presley called the Authority and its partners “leaders” and said he anticipates similar projects to come before the commission in upcoming months.
“This is the time for projects like this one,” he said.
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