2/4/2010
RUTHERFORDTON — County commissioners will hear a proposal to make money from trash as part of their February meeting Monday night.
But first commissioners will preside over a public hearing for an industrial incentive for an unnamed industry that is considering coming to the county.
The hearing will address grants that could be up to $400,000 for industrial development. The company would have to commit to invest at least $4,000,000 and to create between 35 to 50 jobs before the end of 2012.
Representatives from Foothills Connect will propose the county support the methane gas collection at the county’s landfill on Laurel Drive.
“I stumbled upon this idea in the Peace Corp 30 year s ago,” said Foothills Connect Executive Director Tim Will. “I refined it and County Manager John Condrey is very interested in what we’re doing. We’ve been meeting with SWEEP and brought in a landfill consulting engineer.”
The project is still in the planning stage, but Foothills Connect representatives will suggest to the county that pipes be installed in the landfill to collect the methane gas produced from the decay of the waste.
This gas can be used for electricity co-generation and the power then sold to Duke Energy. The utility is interested in the power generation method because of its more ecologically friendly side effects of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the county’s landfill.
But the Foothills Connect plan doesn’t stop there.
“There are companies willing to come in and work with county landfills to put together collection infrastructure - primarily pipes - to collect the methane gas to be used for co-generation of electricity and also to use the heat from the |
|
generators to heat greenhouses,” Will explained. “There are companies willing to come in and work with county landfills to put together collection infrastructure - primarily pipes - to collect the methane gas to be used for co-generation of electricity and also to use the heat from the generators to heat greenhouses,” Will explained. “We can build this 100,000 square foot hoop houses and get a 12 month out of the year agricultural industry going on.”
The Farm Fresh Market, which allows local growers to sell specialized produce to Charlotte restaurants, would be a prime user of the greenhouses.
“Number one on the list of crops that we want to grow year round are heirloom tomatoes,” Will said. “The main deterrent to doing that is the cost of the heat. Well, this way the heat would be free. We can use this also as a training ground for our farmers to learn about running their own small business in the greenhouse.”
Commissioners will be asked support the project, and express a non-binding desire to give the rights to the methane gas to Foothills Connect.
“Conceptually, the county staff supports Foothills in their effort,” said Condrey. “SWEEP has also participated in these discussions and is fully supportive of the project going ahead.”
In other business, commissioners will make appointments to the board of equalization and review, the workforce development commission, and the board of trustees for fireman’s relief fund.
Commissioners will also discuss a contract with PANGAEA for Internet service and the fiber optic network that has been installed in the county from a $1.4 million Golden LEAF grant. Several groups in the county have asked commissioners to reconsider a contract that gives the network to PANGAEA for $10 and let the contract for bid by other Internet service providers. Commissioners postponed the vote on the contract at their January meeting and will address it again Monday.
Go Back
|
