Santee Cooper, Georgetown County dedicate Green Power station on Earth Day
April 26, 2010
MONCKS CORNER, SC – April 26, 2010 – Santee Cooper and GeorgetownCounty celebrated Earth Day today as they dedicated the state’s newestGreen Power plant, the Georgetown County Landfill Generating Station,which generates electricity from naturally occurring landfill methanegas.
Santee Cooper was the first utility to generate renewable energy inSouth Carolina, beginning in 2001 with a landfill generating station atthe Horry County Landfill. Today’s dedication brings to five the numberof Santee Cooper renewable Green Power stations, collectively generating22 megawatts of electricity, and it signals continued commitment by thestate-owned utility to environmental stewardship in Georgetown Countyand throughout South Carolina.
The project generates electricity through a 1-MW GE Jenbacher V-20engine fed by a system of pipes and wells that collects methane gascreated as debris in the landfill decays. Methane gas is a potentgreenhouse gas that is 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Thesite will accommodate expansion as the landfill grows. The powergenerated at the station is distributed through Santee ElectricCooperative’s system.
“This is a great Earth-friendly story, for three reasons,” said LonnieCarter, Santee Cooper president and CEO. “One, landfill gas is acost-effective source of renewable energy. Two, this generating stationsolves an environmental problem, by removing methane gas from theenvironment. Three, by converting the methane gas into electricity, weare making sure that a reliable source of energy doesn’t go to waste.”
Santee Cooper’s newest Green Power station also underscores theutility’s commitment to its goal to generate 40 percent of its energy by2020 from non-greenhouse gas emitting resources, biomass fuels,conservation and energy efficiency.
Sel Hemingway, Georgetown County Administrator, said: “This project isyet another example of how agencies can work together to producebenefits for our citizens. This process transforms a detriment to ourenvironment and a cost to county operations into a clean source ofelectricity for our citizens. We applaud the efforts of our staff andSantee Cooper to make this a reality, and we encourage the developmentof other partnerships in the future.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, every 1 megawattof power produced through a facility such as the Georgetown CountyLandfill Generating Station is equal to removing almost 8,000 cars fromarea roads or planting over 10,000 acres of trees.
The Georgetown project is supported by Santee Cooper customers whopurchase blocks of Santee Cooper Green Power. Residential customers canpurchase the premium power in blocks of 100 kilowatt hours for $3 each(prices vary for commercial and industrial customers). Santee Cooperreinvests 100 percent of Green Power revenues in new or expandedrenewable energy projects.
Other renewable energy projects in Georgetown include a Green PowerSolar School 2-kilowatt demonstration solar project at Carvers BayMiddle School and wind energy research projects at several locations inthe county. Santee Cooper also helped bring American Gypsum toGeorgetown County in 2008, where it opened a plant making wallboard byrecycling gypsum produced at Santee Cooper’s Winyah Generating Stationas a byproduct of environmental control technology at work in thestation.
Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s state-owned electricand water utility, and the state’s largest power producer. The ultimatesource of electricity for 2 million South Carolinians, Santee Cooper isdedicated to being the state’s leading resource for improving thequality of life for the people of South Carolina. For more information,visit www.santeecooper.com.
