Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is touring the U.S. to pitch a waste- to-energy project, a report by the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle says. He started his tour in Clarksville, Tennessee.

The former Pennsylvania senator is working with Viking Peak Energy Fuels, Hartford, Connecticut, to spread the word on its refuse-derived fuel (RDF) project, the report says. During a meeting with the Bi-County Solid Waste Board that serves Montgomery and Stewart counties in Tennessee, Santorum explained the benefits of RDF over coal.

According to the report, Viking Peak can divert 90 percent of the waste it collects from a community and converts it to a fuel that ranges from 9,000 to 13,000 British thermal units. The facility would cover around 20,000 square feet and would generate zero emissions.

The project is in the initial stages of development, the report says. A long-term commitment from a customer would be necessary to build the facility.