One of the nation’s largest garbage-to-energy projects got underway in central Washington last week, capturing enough methane gas from a massive landfill to power 3,000 homes. A local public utility and an aluminum company have become its first customers, and other utilities, including Seattle City Light, are eyeing deals as the project heads toward its goal of producing enough electricity to power 30,000 homes. The project also provides the environmental benefit of keeping methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from being released directly into the atmosphere.
