Reported by Staff

DENVER - The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) has announced that the first clean energy project sponsored by the Colorado Carbon Fund will produce electricity from methane gas at the Larimer County Landfill.

 The 1.4-megawatt project, a joint effort of Colorado-based Timberline Energy, LLC, the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association (PVREA), the Portland, Ore.-based Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and the Colorado Carbon Fund (CCF), is expected to produce enough electricity to power about 900 local homes.
 
The Colorado Carbon Fund has committed a minimum of $230,000 toward the project through the purchase of carbon offsets. The CCF’s funding comes from donations made by individuals and businesses interested in supporting innovative new clean energy projects in the state. Large donors to the CCF have included University of Colorado at Boulder, Key Bank, Shell and Alpine Bank.
 
The Larimer County Landfill methane-to-electricity project marks the CCF’s first clean energy venture since its launch last year.  Landfill gas-to-energy projects reduce global warming pollution by adding renewable energy to the grid and by preventing methane from leaking into the air. Landfill gas is typically about 50 percent methane, which pound-for-pound is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a global warming pollutant. By preventing methane pollution, the facility’s benefits are equivalent to taking about 7,500 cars off the road each year. These projects also can minimize the impacts of landfills in other ways, such as by preventing groundwater contamination.
 
To learn more about the Colorado Carbon Fund visit www.ColoradoCarbonFund.org.