The Development Process

The Community TIES Project started with a thorough review of candidate counties and their landfills. This review evaluated data from the N.C. DENR Solid Waste Division, the E.P.A.’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program, and other studies on landfills in NC, and upon discovering considerable disparity among the sources proceeded to consolidate and verify available information. After determining reasonable estimates of landfill gas resources within the target counties, the project proceeded to evaluate county potential further by examining agricultural data and conducting interviews with relevant local, regional, and state officials.

Initial contact was made with counties via email informing local officials of their selection as a target for our project. These counties, at this time, were also invited, at the expense of the Community TIES Project, to participate in a statewide landfill gas conference (Trash to Cash) that was held in Hickory and produced by the State Energy Office and the NC Solar Center. Several counties responded and attended the statewide conference.

Once the target counties were identified and the workshop dates and locations were finalized a marketing plan was developed for promoting the regional workshops, and a website (http://www.communitytiesproject.org) was developed to facilitate dissemination of project-related information. The staff also began developing a concert of presentations and workbook information covering all aspects of landfill gas development: introduction to the concept, estimating gas resources, components of the collection system, electricity-generating and direct-use technologies, case studies of successful projects, value-adding considerations, and project planning.

Utilizing contacts in DENR’s Solid Waste Division, County Agriculture Extension, Resource Conservation & Development regions, and other groups, a list of desired participants was compiled for each county. Invitation letters were drafted and mailed, and attendees were directed to the online registration form. Invitation letters were followed up with phone calls.

As each workshop approached, press releases were sent to newspapers in each county. Each release featured county-specific information, such as the tons of waste currently in place at their landfill. Newspapers, and even a TV station were very receptive, and the workshops received considerable local press.

For each workshop, a guest speaker was invited to deliver the introductory presentation. Presentations in each workshop were tailored to reflect the interests of the counties attending the workshop. Each workshop also featured lunch videos about the EnergyXchange, and the videos were provided to all attendees in their workbook.

An average of 3 counties attended each workshop, although several others expressed interest but could not attend due to prior obligations. From each county, an average of 2 people attended, although some counties sent 3 or 4 people and others sent only one. Feedback on the workshops from anonymous rating forms has been uniformly positive.

Following the workshops, each interested county was evaluated based on their potential to proceed forward with project planning. Six counties were tentatively selected for further assistance. Additionally, efforts were made to secure additional funding for engineering studies, a precursor to installing the collection system. The potential for receiving funding for collection systems in four counties was also evaluated.

County summaries were distributed to the selected counties that highlight their resource potential and likely economic benefits and synergies from landfill gas. Meetings between Community TIES staff and local leaders (landfill operators, agricultural extension, county managers, and economic developers) have been set up to discuss specifics of beginning development planning.

After engaging these counties, the project had an early success by facilitating development of the Robeson County Landfill into an energy source that the county used to recruit an ethanol manufacturing facility. The Robeson County project will produce 4 million gallons of ethanol per year, largely from local corn feedstocks. The project will create dozens of jobs in the county, and add considerable value to farm products.

Taskforces have been organized and meet regularly in Columbus, Rockingham and McDowell Counties, and 2 of these counties are making preliminary efforts towards funding applications. The taskforces have been approved and authorized by county commissioners in each county, and a public meeting has been held in Columbus County.

The Project has also arranged for testing of the gas quality at the Columbus County Landfill, and is heading up efforts to arrange for test well installation and a pump-test to confirm the feasibility of the McDowell landfill. Focus groups have been planned for Rockingham County in late April to further elaborate on the details of the ideas emerging there.

The CommunityTIES Project has also prepared development plans for each of the three counties from Phase 1 that does not have a project approaching construction yet. These development plans outline the estimated gas resource, provide some basic analysis into common usage methods such as electricity generation and greenhouses, and also make recommendations for a possible mix of gas-use options with estimates provided for job creation, agriculture value-added, and other relevant outcomes. Other project activities include preparation of a funding guide for counties and an analysis of the feasibility of establishing a carbon credit aggregator to serve as an intermediary to the Chicago Climate Exchange and facilitate the receipt of payment for valuable greenhouse gas reductions for landfill projects in the state.