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Georgia EMCs receive approval for additional Green Power designation

With the approval of a special use permit by the Buford City Commission June 7 for power generation at the Richland Creek Landfill site, Green Power EMC, Georgia's first renewable energy program, is poised to increase its capacity to a total of nine megawatts.

Four internal combustion engines fueled by methane gas from the Gwinnett landfill will generate an additional four megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power about 4,000 homes. Methane gas is present at all landfills and must be burned off by a flare, whether or not power is generated.

"We are very excited to be moving forward on the last of the three landfill generation sites announced at the formation of Green Power EMC," said Michael Whiteside, Green Power and Coweta-Fayette EMC president.Ê"Our work on this project is part of the cooperative commitment to provide our members who are concerned about the environment with an opportunity to support renewable energy alternatives."

Green Power EMC is a group of 16 member-owned electric cooperatives in Georgia who have joined together, creating a nonprofit corporation, to obtain and market cleaner energy sources within Georgia to its member EMCs.

Coweta-Fayette EMC members signing up for Green Power will pay an additional charge each month of $4 per 150 kilowatt-hour block of electricity bought.

Members of Green Power EMC include Carroll EMC of Carrollton, Cobb EMC of Marietta, Coweta-Fayette EMC of Newnan, Habersham EMC of Clarksville, Irwin EMC of Ocilla, Jackson EMC of Jefferson, Lamar EMC of Barnsville, Ocmulgee EMC of Eastman, Sawnee EMC of Cumming, Snapping Shoals EMC of Covington, Tri-County EMC of Gray, Walton EMC of Monroe, Coastal Electric Cooperative of Midway, Jefferson Energy Cooperative of Wrens, GreyStone Power Corporation of Douglasville and Flint Energies of Reynolds. These are all membership cooperatives in Georgia owned by the members they serve.

From the beginning of the project, Green Power EMC has worked closely with the EPA, DOE and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, requesting their guidance throughout the process and securing their endorsement for the Green Power EMC landfill projects.

“When completed next year, Green Power's total landfill gas project will have the same environmental benefit as taking 67,146 cars off the road, planting 90,738 acres of forest, reducing the use of 1,890 railroad cars of coal, or eliminating 714,322 barrels of oil each year,” said Whiteside.