Greensboro, NC, produces $30,000 worth of landfill methane per year

The Achievement

In 1995, the City of Greensboro, NC, entered into an agreement with Duke Energy to develop a renewable energy recovery system. This system collects and transports methane gas that is created by the decomposition of organic materials found in the landfill. The gas is collected from the landfill through a series of pipes that have been placed below the surface of the waste. The gas is then transported to the program’s industrial partner, Cone Mills, by way of a three-mile pipeline. The gas is burned in boilers to generate steam in order to operate machinery in the Cone Mills’ textile plant. The methane is sold to Cone Mills at a lower cost than other natural gases, thereby lowering their utility costs.

The Benefit

Historically, the City of Greensboro has received around $30,000 annually from the sale of the landfill gas.