NativeEnergy/Touring Green
Project Descriptions
The
projects described below have been selected as the initial portfolio of
Touring Green offsets. These descriptions have been provided by
NativeEnergy.
The projects funded by Touring Green and
offsets purchased from NativeEnergy
are subject to change. Terms, conditions
and disclosures are set forth in full at
www.nativeenergy.com, and key provisions can be found at:
http://www.nativeenergy.com/how_works.html
http://www.nativeenergy.com/how_we_are.html
http://www.nativeenergy.com/projects.html
http://www.nativeenergy.com/your_choices.html
http://www.nativeenergy.com/risks_benefits.html
http://www.nativeenergy.com/faq.html
http://www.nativeenergy.com/terms_conditions.html#Offsets
NativeEnergy has
agreed to promptly notify Clark Transfer (and we will inform program
participants) of any material changes in these disclosures and terms that would
affect Touring Green participants.
Brubaker
Farms Anaerobic Digester Project
The
Brubaker family farm, founded in Mt. Joy, PA in 1929, has a history of
environmental stewardship in its farming efforts. The Brubaker family sponsors
local events that promote environmental efforts at the farm, and also holds
educational tours for local community members. In 2003, NativeEnergy began working with the Pennsylvania Biomass Working
Group to help support the state's digester initiative. In 2004, we began
discussions with the farm regarding funding support for their planned manure
anaerobic digester project. The farm was awarded grant money from the State
of Pennsylvania in 2005 and then funds from the US Department of Agriculture
in 2007. Our discussions with the Brubaker’s continued, and after exploring
other alternatives, the Brubaker’s selected NativeEnergy to purchase upfront the carbon emission
reductions and RECs associated with the operation of the digester and
generator. This additional funding from NativeEnergy allowed for the Brubaker family to successfully
complete the project financing.
As Michael Brubaker explains, "We were fortunate to
receive the two grants, however we were still concerned about the risk involved
in the $367,000 remaining in the project. Our farm would be similar to many
farms in that it is land rich, cash poor". Factoring that amount of money
into the cash flow drastically affected profitability. When we learned of the
potential revenues from the REC and carbon credits, we felt it was the final
piece of the puzzle that was needed to go ahead with the project. This final
portion of the funding is exactly what was needed to insure a quicker payback
and better rate of return without putting an excessive burden of debt on the
rest of the farm."
The Brubaker family farm methane digester produces
renewable energy, some of which is delivered to the local electric power grid.
The digester also powers a portion of the farm's operations. Additionally,
excess heat from the electric generator engine is used to heat the farm
buildings, reducing the farm's fossil fuel use. Brubaker Farms is among the
first to receive the Pennsylvania Environmental Agricultural Conservation
Certification of Excellence. The farm received the National Environmental
Stewardship Award in 1999 and a major livestock award in 2000.
The project is a good example of a working and successful
farming operation that is a responsible steward of the environment, an active
member of the local community, and able to co-exist in an area that is
experiencing a growth in residential development.
Des Plaines Landfill Project
The Des Plaines
Landfill is located in Cook County, Illinois, about 30 minutes northwest of
downtown Chicago. The landfill is
located at 9800 Central Road between River Road and Interstate 294. The Des Plaines River and a cemetery
abut the landfill on the west side, and the Oakton Community College is located
across Central Road south of the landfill. Its use as a privately operated landfill began in the early
1960’s, and ceased accepting waste by 1986.
The site is owned
by the Archdiocese of Chicago, and was operated by John Sexton Sand and
Gravel. The site has a waste
footprint of about 130 acres, with an existing waste-in-place volume of about
11.6 million cubic yards. The site
accepted municipal solid waste (MSW) throughout its active life. Waste received included small
quantities of construction and demolition debris, and some liquid waste. The site is an unlined landfill that
was constructed consistent with practices current at the time operations began
and therefore without a bottom leachate collection system, geomembrane liner,
or a re-compacted soil bottom liner. The natural existing in-situ clay has
provided the lining for the landfill. A leachate management system has been
installed in recent years. A low permeability soil cover with a minimum
thickness of 3 feet was placed over the intermediate cover when the site
stopped accepting MSW. The actual
soil cover in-place at the landfill is reported to be from 8 feet up to 20 feet
in total thickness.
Landfill gas
(LFG) is a powerful greenhouse gas. LFG is the natural byproduct of the actions
of anaerobic bacteria that cause the organic matter that exists within a
landfill to decompose. LFG has the
rather consistent composition of 55 percent methane and 42 to 45 percent carbon
dioxide with lesser amounts of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and minute
concentrations of other gases. The
capture of this waste component of the landfill maturation process has
considerable environmental benefits.
The emission into the atmosphere of LFG is a major contributor to global
warming accounting for over 35% of the man-made methane emissions in the United
States. The migration of LFG under
ground from a landfill can cause groundwater contamination or has the potential
to build up in a closed area or a building and become an explosive hazard. The removal of the LFG will facilitate
the return of this property to a productive use such as a golf course.
Methane, the major component of LFG, is the principal
constituent of natural gas and, therefore, landfill gas is an alternative fuel
to natural gas, fuel oil or coal.
This waste product can be put to a productive use through the use as
fuel for the generation of electrical energy. Power produced and sold from LFG
fueled electrical generation facilities is one of the most reliable sources of
renewable energy.
Approximately 200 LFG extraction wells are in place
covering the perimeter and most interior areas of the Des Plaines
landfill. Initially, LFG was
collected around the edge of the landfill and then vented to the atmosphere in
order to prevent migration of LFG to neighboring properties. In 1998, with the aim to develop an
electricity generation project, some of the emissions were collected to measure
emissions volume and flow rates. A
flare was installed to destroy the LFG until it could eventually be used in a
power generating unit.
The emission reduction project, comprising the
aggregate LFG collection and destruction capacity operating at the Des
Plaines landfill and described in this Exhibit A (the “Project”), now uses
most of the LFG to produce electrical energy. By 2002, vertical gas extraction
wells, laterals, header lines, condensate driplegs, and a blower/flare unit
were installed, and Sexton Energy had replaced the older flare as part of the
Project. The replacement utility
flare device is located on the south side of the landfill.
The blower/flare unit was installed to collect the LFG
from the wells and burn off the collected LFG thus reducing net emissions of
LFG. The unit consists of a
trailer-mounted 8-inch diameter utility flare with a single centrifugal gas
fan-type blower manufactured by Aerovent, and a control panel. The blower is powered by a 50 HP direct
drive electric motor. Flow is
measured at the flare (and is now measured at the generator, see below) using a
flow meter manufactured by the Sponsler Company (Model SP6-CB-PH7-D-4X) rated
to measure flows in the range of 250 to 2,900 cubic feet per minute (cfm) as
indicated on the flow meter nameplate.
The location
supports the Project’s 3500 kilowatt electrical generation facilities. In 2004, operations started to generate
electricity using the LFG. A power plant is housed in a building located
adjacent to the landfill on land provided by the Archdiocese. It has 2 internal combustion engines of
1750 kilowatts each that turn electric generators to produce and deliver the
power output to Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed). Sexton Energy LLC has a contract with Com Ed in which Com Ed
takes all of the output from the facility. This Project’s energy is being sold to Com Ed for inclusion
in the local distribution of electricity, without conveying to Com Ed any
rights to the emissions reductions associated with capturing and destroying the
LFG. Com Ed will purchase the power delivered to it during the life of the
facility under the rates filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC).
Farmer-Owned Distributed Wind
Turbines
NativeEnergy recently concluded a long-term agreement
with Next Generation Power Systems, Inc., to support its sales and
installations of German designed 40 kW Aeroman wind turbines that are
remanufactured and customized for Midwest conditions. With
up-front funding from NativeEnergy reducing turbine costs to an acceptable
level, these turbines will help farmers reduce their long-term electricity
costs, while helping stabilize the electricity grid with distributed, small
scale power generation.
Current support is going to:
·
The Burkhalter Farm in
Minnesota.
·
Marty Espenson's farm in
Minnesota (Pictured above)
·
Dean Harder's farm in
Minnesota
·
Peter Samuelson's farm in
Minnesota.
·
Charles & Louise Worm's
farm in Minnesota.
·
Steve and Jane Tiedeman's
farm in Minnesota.
·
The Overgaard family farm
in Minnesota.
·
Neil and Tammy Bartel's
farm in Minnesota.
·
Dean Tofteland's farm in
Minnesota.
·
Barry and Tami Bork's farm
in South Dakota.
·
The Peterson family farm in
Minnesota.
·
Roddy Hanson's farm in
Minnesota.
·
Mark Hanson's farm in
Minnesota.
·
The Schroepfer farm in
Minnesota.
·
The Fredin farm in
Minnesota
·
The Jacoby farm in
Minnesota
·
The Williamson farm in
Minnesota
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