Before the jokes start flying about how we’re not surprised that London has gas — and natural stuff at that — the city should get some kudos for thinking about turning methane lemons into green lemonade.
Next year city council will consider a proposal to endorse a $10-million gas plant that would capture methane from the city’s landfill and use it to produce electricity.
There’s no hot air here. Jay Stanford, the city’s enthusiastic director of environmental programs and solid waste, calls the idea a “great business opportunity.”
In a community looking for jobs, money and green initiatives, it makes enormous sense.
London didn’t need to look any further than the landfill for some creative, lucrative initiatives — all from the mountain of garbage we pack off to south London every year.
Currently, methane emitting out of the city’s south-end landfill is burned off — methane that could be used as natural gas.
There was hope that the gases could be captured and shipped to the big gas companies for other power plants — an idea that was buried once the Ontario Energy Board decided not to allow a premium price for the gas.
But the alternative makes more sense anyway — a London-based solution to a London problem.
Estimates are that the plant could generate 2.4 megawatts of electricity and
$2.5 million in revenue.
A private partner can likely be found to build the plant, with the promise of a royalty for the power to recover the investment. There are more than $3 million in government grants available that would cover the city’s upfront portion.
Stanford has been the city’s green torch bearer of everything from solar panels, Big Blue blue boxes and bicycle paths. We’re not surprised that he and his department have found a great way of selling an environmentally sound proposal that comes with a profit, not a cost.
If only city council could see the same kind of benefit for the long overdue green bin program similar to what is available in other Ontario communities, but has been kept on the back burner in tight-fisted budget discussions.