Clean, Green Renewable Energy

Through a partnership among your local electric cooperative, Alabama Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Waste Management, methane gas from Springhill Regional Landfill is extracted and burned to generate 4.8 megawatts of green energy. The electricity produced is then added to generation resources already being used to generate power for cooperative customers within their local service territory.

How does it work?

Every day, approximately five pounds of solid waste is generated for every person in the United States. Landfill gas, consisting mostly of methane, is created through the natural decomposition of this waste material and can be used as an alternative fuel resource for electricity generation.

The process begins with the disposal of organic-rich solid waste material into sanitary landfills. As the waste decomposes, methane gas is produced and recovered by a series of wells drilled into the landfill. The wells are interconnected by a common collection system that transports the gas to a compression facility. There, the gas is compressed, dried and filtered before being sent through turbines or engines to produce electricity.

The result - clean, green energy - is enough to power 4,000 homes per year.

Springhill Regional Landfill near Campbellton, Fla.