Greenhouse Gas Inventory Provides Baseline to Document Mission Reductions through Construction of a Landfill Gas Turbine Power Facility

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District inventoried the greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by its water reclamation facilities, conveyance system, and other facilities and programs in anticipation of future regulations and as a good management practice. The inventory was intended to represent a true and fair account of the District' GHG emissions through the use of standardized approaches and principles in accordance with the World Resources Institute (WRI)/World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) GHG Protocol. The inventory documented period 2000 to 2007. The inventory will be used to develop strategies for addressing potential cap and trade and other GHG legislation, to set emission reduction goals, and for other issues. As part of that strategy, the District is constructing a new gas turbine power generation facility at its Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) that uses landfill gas, a renewable fuel. The project will significantly reduce GHGs and energy costs and could address future regulations that may require GHG reductions. To further reduce GHG emissions and costs, the turbine exhaust will be used to dry biosolids into Milorganite®, a commercially marketed fertilizer. Construction of the power generation facility will reduce GHGs emissions from combustion sources at the Jones Island WRF by an estimated 95 percent and reduce energy costs by an estimated 25 million to 65 million over 20 years. A 19-mile pipeline is being constructed to convey the landfill gas to Jones Island.