The POWER of TRASH…energy for Worcester County
Literally, if you’re not already thinking “renewable energy” you soon will be! Faced with the ever increasing volume of trash collected throughout our area and the rising cost of electricity, some smart folks at the County have joined with a 60 year old Baltimore firm, Curtis Engine, and have put together one heck of a “recycling” program. The new Worcester County Methane Power Plant located at the Central Landfill in Newark got “turned on” last week. Seems our trash is now being transformed into power (electricity) – based on methane gas-to-energy technology – (methane being the gas produced in abundance from piled up garbage at our dump)! Additionally, the process benefits the environment…wherein the methane used is no longer being passively released, cutting harmful atmospheric emissions significantly! Here in Worcester County Maryland, this “renewable energy” source conversion will produce enough power to supply electricity to 2,700 area homes when fully implemented in the spring of 2009. Furthermore, any excess electricity produced be may be sold into the nationwide power “grid” creating income. Certainly a win-win for everyone! And, although we’re not the first methane-to-gas facility in Maryland, we are the second (Wicomico’s Naylor Mill Road plant opened in 2007) on the Eastern Shore. Just another reason I’m proud to be a resident of Berlin MD in Worcester County!
