April
2006
Litter
Pick Up in Progress
Green
power program hatches new energy source
Just
in time for earth day, Walton EMC announces the addition of another
energy source to its green
power mix. This one is not as typical as the sources you've already
heard about–solar energy, landfill methane and low-impact
hydro.
Georgia's
poultry industry is vital to our economy. Economists estimate
its impact
at $13.5 billion annually. Our poultry and egg products are sold
around the globe.
The
industry employs more than 47,000 workers directly with another
77,000 having jobs in related businesses, like drug companies
and equipment suppliers.
With
all that production comes the challenge of disposing of chicken
wastes, called litter. Traditionally, poultry litter is
spread on fields because it is rich in nutrients and acts as a
fertilizer. The problem comes when urban sprawl takes away land
that was once available to accept chicken litter.
Green
Power EMC, the cooperative that supplies environmentally friendly
power to Walton EMC, is buying the electricity output of a plant
in Carnesville that has a process to use the litter as a fuel
source.
Carnesville
is in Franklin County, the top poultry producing county in Georgia.
 |
| A
machine like this will convert poultry waste to fuel to produce
green electricity at a location in Franklin County.
Walton EMC, through Green Power EMC, will receive some of
this electricity. |
The
litter is superheated and separates into gas compounds, including
methane. These gasses are burned to produce heat that creates
steam to power a turbine.
After
it's used for power production, the litter turns into an odorless
ash that's granulated and added to the soil to provide nutrients.
And
if this process catches on, it will allow the poultry industry
to continue to grow since the litter disposal problem will be
solved.
The
plant, developed by Earth Resources, should be fully functional
by 2007. Its output will be 20 megawatts, enough to power
4,000 typical homes.
You
can support these efforts by signing
up to sponsor your block of green power. For only $2.95 a
month, you can support the production of 150 kilowatt-hours of
green electricity, enough to run two refrigerators.
