Project capable of generating electricity for 25,000 homes.
Republic Services Inc., Phoenix, is touting the new landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) project built at the Sunshine Canyon landfill near Los Angeles. The 20-megawatt project is capable of generating enough electricity to power nearly 25,000 area homes, says Republic.
“Landfills play a more consequential role in society now than ever before,” says Ron Krall, area president of Republic Services. “Today’s landfill must be sophisticated, and leverage the power of science and engineering to help regenerate the local ecosystem. Sunshine Canyon Landfill has enabled growth in Los Angeles for decades, and now it will be there to help a great community achieve its sustainability goals.”
Republic Services has partnered with Sunshine Gas Producers, a joint venture between DTE Biomass Energy and Aria Energy, to develop the Sunshine Canyon LFGTE project. (The two technology partners had earlier announced the project in the fall of 2014.)
“This partnership is another example of how technology and simple, hard work can result in a project that's good for the environment and the local community,” says Mark Cousino, president of DTE Biomass Energy. “It has been a pleasure working with Republic and Aria Energy to deliver California’s newest renewable energy facility.”
“Aria Energy is very pleased to join Republic Services and DTE Biomass in bringing online Sunshine Canyon, our 44th renewable energy project and sixth project with DTE Biomass,” says Richard DiGia, president and CEO of Aria Energy. “This project is directly aligned with our business strategy and will further help fulfill California’s 33 percent renewable energy goal through our investment in this baseload electric production facility.”
Republic Services operates eight LFGTE projects in California, and 73 total LFGTE projects nationwide.
Combined, these projects capture and convert enough landfill gas into energy to power more than 250,000 homes per year, says Republic. According to the EPA, the carbon emissions prevented from entering the air by these projects is equal to removing more than 4 million cars from the road or planting more than 4.5 million acres of trees each year.