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02-11-05, 01:18 AM
GM Oklahoma City Plant Becomes Seventh Operation to Use Landfill Gas
Renewable Energy Source Accounts for Over One-Half of Plant's Steam Needs
Oklahoma City - General Motors today announced that its Oklahoma City Assembly plant has become the company's seventh to utilize landfill gas as energy and is helping fulfill the company's goal to increase the use of renewable energy in its energy supply portfolio.
Four other GM facilities-Toledo, Ohio Powertrain; Orion, Mich.; Fort Wayne, Ind., and Shreveport, La. vehicle assembly plants-also use landfill gas to power plant boilers. In addition, GM's Service Parts Operations in Grand Blanc and Flint, Mich. utilize landfill gas by purchasing thirteen million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, generated from the Granger Energy landfill gas-to-electricity project.
According to the World Resources Institute and the Green Power Market Development Group in a 2003 study, GM is the largest non-utility direct user of landfill gas in the U.S.
"GM is helping reduce coal and natural gas consumption at its plants and emissions by capturing methane, that would have been vented to the atmosphere from the landfill, and using it as a source of energy," said Joseph C. Bibeau, group director of GM's Energy and Utility Services. "Additionally, GM's landfill gas projects have proven not only to be good for the environment, but to reduce spending costs, generating annual savings greater than $500,000 at each plant."
By driving energy conservation initiatives and by using various renewable energy sources, such as methane gas, GM has reduced its natural gas consumption by 21 percent since 1995 and is well on its way to achieving its 25 percent energy reduction goal by 2005. The sum of the landfill gas capacity at the seven GM operations is 1.6 trillion BTUs per year, which is equivalent to the energy needed to heat over 25,000 households.
Landfill gas is 50-percent methane and is released from waste as it decomposes in landfills. It is a significant greenhouse gas. When collected, methane is a clean-burning fuel and is a reliable energy source for the boilers used to heat and cool the plant environment.
The Oklahoma City project is the result of GM partnering with various entities, including the City of Oklahoma, that provided the right-of-way for the pipeline to be constructed, Allied Waste, Oklahoma Natural Gas, DTE Biomass Energy and Oklahoma Arcadian Utilities LLC (Cinergy). Landfill gas is generated at the city's Bryant Street Landfill in Oklahoma City, captured and processed by DTE Biomass Energy, then transported to GM's facility via a pipeline. A steam boiler on site has been modified to burn landfill gas in lieu of natural gas. As a result, landfill gas represents enough energy to produce over one-half of the total steam used at the facility.
"We are pleased to be participating in General Motor's Oklahoma City landfill gas-to-energy partnership," said Curtis T. Ranger, president, DTE Biomass Energy. "This is our first landfill recovery project with GM using a renewable energy resource that conserves natural gas and removes methane from the environment."
"Because of the positive environmental impact from using landfill gas, we are continuing to identify opportunities to use landfill gas and other renewable energy sources." Bibeau added. "At all of our facilities around the world, we are implementing initiatives or projects to reduce energy use and to eliminate waste of all kinds."
For example, GM is replacing existing lighting at its U.S. plants, including Oklahoma City, with more energy efficient lighting through Green Lights – a program supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Oklahoma City is an EPA Green Lights Certified plant.
GM's commitment to conservation and use of landfill gas has been recognized by EPA.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene commended General Motors for bringing its landfill gas program to Oklahoma.
"GM is proving that environmental protection goes hand in hand with economic development," he said. "EPA is enthusiastic about collaborating with industry leaders like GM to make better ways of protecting our environment an integral part of daily business practices.
Last year, GM received the 2003 Partner of The Year Award through EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program for achieving outstanding success in utilizing landfill gas. GM also received EPA'S ENERGY STAR "Energy Partner of the Year" Award in 2002 and EPA's 2004 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award.
"Through valuable partnerships, such as EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program, ENERGY STAR, Green Lights program and EPA Green Lights Power Partnership, General Motors puts its energy conservation and environmental goals into practice," said Elizabeth Lowery, GM's vice president of Environment and Energy. "This aggressive implementation of energy conservation and reduction initiatives is an important component of GM's efforts to contribute to a sustainable environment."
The Oklahoma City facility manufactures the GMC Envoy XL, GMC Envoy XUV and the Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com (http://www.gm.com/).
DTE Biomass Energy is a subsidiary of DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its largest operating units are Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, and MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. DTE Biomass Energy operates more than 30 landfill facilities in the United States, recovering and preventing the escape of more than 75 million cubic feet of landfill gas per day into the atmosphere. Information about DTE Energy is available at www.dteenergy.com.
Renewable Energy Source Accounts for Over One-Half of Plant's Steam Needs
Oklahoma City - General Motors today announced that its Oklahoma City Assembly plant has become the company's seventh to utilize landfill gas as energy and is helping fulfill the company's goal to increase the use of renewable energy in its energy supply portfolio.
Four other GM facilities-Toledo, Ohio Powertrain; Orion, Mich.; Fort Wayne, Ind., and Shreveport, La. vehicle assembly plants-also use landfill gas to power plant boilers. In addition, GM's Service Parts Operations in Grand Blanc and Flint, Mich. utilize landfill gas by purchasing thirteen million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, generated from the Granger Energy landfill gas-to-electricity project.
According to the World Resources Institute and the Green Power Market Development Group in a 2003 study, GM is the largest non-utility direct user of landfill gas in the U.S.
"GM is helping reduce coal and natural gas consumption at its plants and emissions by capturing methane, that would have been vented to the atmosphere from the landfill, and using it as a source of energy," said Joseph C. Bibeau, group director of GM's Energy and Utility Services. "Additionally, GM's landfill gas projects have proven not only to be good for the environment, but to reduce spending costs, generating annual savings greater than $500,000 at each plant."
By driving energy conservation initiatives and by using various renewable energy sources, such as methane gas, GM has reduced its natural gas consumption by 21 percent since 1995 and is well on its way to achieving its 25 percent energy reduction goal by 2005. The sum of the landfill gas capacity at the seven GM operations is 1.6 trillion BTUs per year, which is equivalent to the energy needed to heat over 25,000 households.
Landfill gas is 50-percent methane and is released from waste as it decomposes in landfills. It is a significant greenhouse gas. When collected, methane is a clean-burning fuel and is a reliable energy source for the boilers used to heat and cool the plant environment.
The Oklahoma City project is the result of GM partnering with various entities, including the City of Oklahoma, that provided the right-of-way for the pipeline to be constructed, Allied Waste, Oklahoma Natural Gas, DTE Biomass Energy and Oklahoma Arcadian Utilities LLC (Cinergy). Landfill gas is generated at the city's Bryant Street Landfill in Oklahoma City, captured and processed by DTE Biomass Energy, then transported to GM's facility via a pipeline. A steam boiler on site has been modified to burn landfill gas in lieu of natural gas. As a result, landfill gas represents enough energy to produce over one-half of the total steam used at the facility.
"We are pleased to be participating in General Motor's Oklahoma City landfill gas-to-energy partnership," said Curtis T. Ranger, president, DTE Biomass Energy. "This is our first landfill recovery project with GM using a renewable energy resource that conserves natural gas and removes methane from the environment."
"Because of the positive environmental impact from using landfill gas, we are continuing to identify opportunities to use landfill gas and other renewable energy sources." Bibeau added. "At all of our facilities around the world, we are implementing initiatives or projects to reduce energy use and to eliminate waste of all kinds."
For example, GM is replacing existing lighting at its U.S. plants, including Oklahoma City, with more energy efficient lighting through Green Lights – a program supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Oklahoma City is an EPA Green Lights Certified plant.
GM's commitment to conservation and use of landfill gas has been recognized by EPA.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene commended General Motors for bringing its landfill gas program to Oklahoma.
"GM is proving that environmental protection goes hand in hand with economic development," he said. "EPA is enthusiastic about collaborating with industry leaders like GM to make better ways of protecting our environment an integral part of daily business practices.
Last year, GM received the 2003 Partner of The Year Award through EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program for achieving outstanding success in utilizing landfill gas. GM also received EPA'S ENERGY STAR "Energy Partner of the Year" Award in 2002 and EPA's 2004 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award.
"Through valuable partnerships, such as EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program, ENERGY STAR, Green Lights program and EPA Green Lights Power Partnership, General Motors puts its energy conservation and environmental goals into practice," said Elizabeth Lowery, GM's vice president of Environment and Energy. "This aggressive implementation of energy conservation and reduction initiatives is an important component of GM's efforts to contribute to a sustainable environment."
The Oklahoma City facility manufactures the GMC Envoy XL, GMC Envoy XUV and the Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com (http://www.gm.com/).
DTE Biomass Energy is a subsidiary of DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its largest operating units are Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, and MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. DTE Biomass Energy operates more than 30 landfill facilities in the United States, recovering and preventing the escape of more than 75 million cubic feet of landfill gas per day into the atmosphere. Information about DTE Energy is available at www.dteenergy.com.