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Plans Announced for Methane-to-Electric Project in White Township; Power Generation System Will Reduce Landfill Air Pollution and Generate Income

Posted on: Wednesday, 3 August 2005, 09:00 CDT

WC Landfill Energy LLC announced plans today for a 3.8 megawatt methane-to-electric power generation system at the 45 acre PCFAWC Landfill in White Township. In April the Pollution Control Financing Authority of Warren County announced an agreement with WC Landfill Energy that will allow the energy management company to develop and install the system.

WC Landfill Energy LLC is a joint venture of DCO Energy LLC and Marina Energy, LLC .DCO and Marina Energy, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries, recently collaborated on the development and construction of a similar facility at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority Landfill in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. That system began operations earlier this year and has surpassed performance expectations.

John Carlton, PCFAWC executive director explained, "The project will use methane gas that would otherwise be flared off every day at the landfill to power two Jenbacher engine generators. Electricity will be used to power the PCFAWC facilities as well as to sell electricity to the PJM market."

More commonly called landfill gas; methane is produced when organic landfill waste decomposes. When methane is recovered as an energy source, it helps to reduce air pollution. In the past, landfills burned excess methane to reduce potential hazardous buildups of the gas. Gas is extracted from the landfill from wells using fans and blowers and is then fed into a series of pipes that deliver the gas to a central point. "We are proud to be part of such an exciting project which captures a valuable fuel that would otherwise be wasted," said South Jersey Industry's Vice President Al Ruggiero. "Utilizing non-traditional fuel sources to generate power is an important way we can become more self-sufficient in terms of meeting our growing energy needs". Through grants provided by its Board of Public Utilities, New Jersey has taken a lead role in promoting renewable energy projects such as this one.

Frank DiCola, President of DCO Energy, the firm that will manage engineering construction and operation of the generating facility stated that the schedule "provides for this 'green energy' generation facility to be on-line by December 31, 2005".

By pursuing this type of project, the PCFAWC will be able to meet a portion of its power requirements and not have to rely exclusively on utilities for its electricity. The project will use between about 1,100 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of landfill gas which generates 28,000,000 kilowatt-hours per year; enough energy to power 3,000 homes for a year.

Using landfill gas for energy helps the environment by reducing fossil fuel emissions, provides businesses with a stable source of energy and benefits the community by improving air quality. The annual reduction of greenhouse gases attributable to this project has the same effect as:

-- Removing the emissions of more than 32,000 cars on the road for a year;

-- Reducing oil consumption by 387,000 barrels per year

-- Planting 49,000 acres of forest

South Jersey Industries (NYSE:SJI) is an energy services holding for South Jersey Gas, South Jersey Energy, Marina Energy, LLC, South Jersey Energy Service Plus and South Jersey Resources Group. For more information about SJI and its subsidiaries please visit www.sjindustries.com.

Source: Business Wire

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