Lockhart Power and Pacolet Milliken Announce Operations at New Landfill Gas Renewable Energy Generation Facility
April 2, 2015
SPARTANBURG, SC – Lockhart Power Company and Pacolet Milliken Enterprises, Inc. announce the start-up of the new landfill gas-to-energy renewable energy (LFGTE) facility at the Republic Services, Inc. Upstate Regional Landfill located near Cross Anchor in Union County, South Carolina. Lockhart Power Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Lockhart BioEnergy, LLC, owns and operates the facility which consists of two reciprocating combustion engines that produce 3,200 kilowatts of useful electric power capable of supplying approximately 1,800 average size homes. The facility is connected to the electrical grid, and its output is being purchased by Duke Energy.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), three megawatts of energy produced from landfill gas is equivalent to preventing carbon emissions generated by the consumption of 16.6 million gallons of gasoline. Based on EPA methodology, the carbon emissions prevented by the Upstate Regional LFGTE project from entering the air is equivalent to the consumption of roughly 900,000 gallons of gasoline each year.
“We are pleased to bring another renewable energy facility to South Carolina,” said Bryan Stone, chief operating officer at Lockhart Power. “The facility not only generates renewable clean energy for customers in Union County and surrounding areas, but it’s also a great economic development tool for attracting industries tailored for green initiatives to our area. This project is a win-win for our community.”
The Upstate Regional Landfill also has excess landfill gas available for other beneficial uses. One such potential use would be to pipe the excess gas to the Midway Green Industrial Park, a nearby site that is being developed for large industrial companies. The gas could be used for on-site power generation or direct thermal use for industrial heating, with residual heat used to produce low pressure steam and hot water. The availability of this renewable landfill gas helps make this site ideal for manufacturers that are large energy consumers, and who are concerned with minimizing their environmental footprint.
“Together with Pacolet Milliken’s other renewable energy projects, the facility will contribute to the company’s ongoing corporate sustainability efforts to become a leader in implementing green power alternatives,” said Richard Webel, president of Pacolet Milliken, the parent company of Lockhart Power.
This project represents the sixth renewable energy facility Lockhart Power has developed or purchased throughout the last seven years. Lockhart Power currently owns and operates a similar landfill gas-to-energy facility in Wellford through a partnership with Spartanburg County. The Wellford project, which began production in 2011, transports a portion of the landfill gas by pipeline for use in Milliken & Company’s Dewey plant in Inman, and uses the remaining landfill gas on site for power generation.
“Landfills are essential infrastructure in any community, but their value to society goes well beyond disposal,” said Jamey Amick, area president of Republic Services. “Today’s landfill can help to regenerate air, water and land in a local ecosystem, and in many cases it can create a renewable power source from waste decomposition. We are incredibly proud of this project, and the economic and environmental impacts it will make in the Upstate area for years to come.”
About Lockhart Power Company
Lockhart Power Company is an investor-owned public utility servicing the Upstate of South Carolina since 1912, with more than 99 percent of its power generated from renewable sources. Lockhart Power provides reliable and cost-effective electric service to its retail and wholesale customers, while also providing renewable energy to the City of Columbia and Duke Energy Carolinas. For more information, please visit www.lockhartpower.com.
About Pacolet Milliken Enterprises, Inc.
Pacolet Milliken Enterprises, Inc. is a private, family-owned investment company founded in 2007 by the shareholders of Milliken & Company with a forward-looking mission to secure and grow high-quality assets with enduring value in the energy and real estate markets. For more information, please visit www.pacoletmilliken.com.
About Republic Services
Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) is an industry leader in U.S. recycling and non-hazardous solid waste. Through its subsidiaries, Republic’s collection companies, recycling centers, transfer stations and landfills focus on providing effective solutions to make proper waste disposal effortless for their commercial, industrial, municipal, residential and oilfield customers. We’ll handle it from here.TM, the brand’s tagline, lets customers know they can count on Republic to provide a superior experience while fostering a sustainable Blue PlanetTM for future generations to enjoy a cleaner, safer and healthier world. For more information, visit the Republic Services website at republicservices.com
