University of New Hampshire to Power Campus with Landfill Gas

The renewable, carbon-neutral landfill gas, from Waste Management's Turnkey Recycling and Environmental Enterprise (TREE) facility in Rochester, N.H., will replace commercial natural gas as the primary fuel in UNH's cogeneration plant, enabling UNH to receive 80-85 percent of its energy from a renewable source.

"By reducing the university's dependence on fossil fuels and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, EcoLine is an environmentally and fiscally responsible initiative," said Huddleston. "UNH is proud to lead the nation and our peer institutions in this landmark step toward sustainability."

Construction is set to begin immediately on a landfill gas processing plant and the 12.7-mile underground pipeline, which will transport the gas from the plant to the university's main campus. UNH is expected to fuel its cogeneration plant with landfill gas by the fall of 2008. Estimated cost of the project, including the construction of a second generator at UNH, is $45 million.

"Waste Management is very pleased to work with UNH on this significant and innovative landfill gas-to-energy initiative," said Alan L. Davis, district manager of TREE for Waste Management. "This project will add to the growing roster of landfill gas-to-energy projects operated by Waste Management across the country, and it will help us responsibly allocate the company's resources while providing renewable power to the communities we serve."

As the nation's largest owner and operator of landfills, Waste Management recently announced a major landfill gas-to-energy initiative that will result in the creation of an additional 60 renewable energy facilities. In total, Waste Management will generate more than 700 megawatts of clean renewable energy -- enough to power 700,000 homes or replace over eight million barrels of oil.

With 281 landfills in North America and more than 100 landfill gas-to-energy projects already underway, Waste Management is in a position to expand waste-based renewable power generation across the country.