Blunt touts renewable energy at Springfield landfill dedication

Wes Johnson
News-Leader

Gov. Matt Blunt dedicated the new Noble Hill Landfill Renewable Energy Center this morning, calling it a good use of an otherwise wasted resource.

“I’m seldom excited to be at a landfill, but I am today,” Blunt told a crowd of about 100 people at the dedication.

A joint venture between the City of Springfield and City Utilities, the $7 million landfill energy project taps trapped methane deep within the landfill to generate up to 3.2 megawatts of electricity.

The electricity is fed into CU transmission lines and at full power is enough to meet the needs of about 2,080 homes.

Power from the landfill began flowing into the city a week ago.

Blunt called the renewable-energy project “an example of Ozarks ingenuity.”

The project is the first of its kind for a public utility in Missouri.

Dana Murray, with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program, said the Noble Hill project is good for the environment.

Methane is one of the most destructive greenhouse gases. She said burning it at the Noble Hill facility to produce electricity reduces air emissions equal to 25,000 vehicles.

Annually, it offsets the need for 39,000 barrels of oil or 120 rail cars of coal.

Battlefield resident Matt Keener attended the dedication to see what the project was all about.

“It’s very cool,” Keener said. “For CU to have this kind of a project — the first one in the state of Missouri — shows environmental awareness. It’s very good for Springfield.”

“I think it’s important for our community to develop renewable energy resources and try to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels — as a community, and as a nation,” added Springfield resident Mike Kromrey.