News Releases

PPL Renewable Energy and the borough of Chambersburg unveiled a new landfill gas-to-energy facility today (4/30) at IESI Blue Ridge Landfill, a Progressive Waste Solutions company.

The new 6.4-megawatt power generation system captures methane from decomposing trash and uses it to generate up to 50 million kilowatt-hours per year of electricity. That’s enough to power 4,000 homes.

“This is a great example of a public-private initiative that helps protect the environment while providing a long-term, renewable energy source for the borough of Chambersburg,” said Michael Kroboth, president of PPL Renewable Energy. “We look forward to a long-lasting relationship with the borough and Progressive Waste Solutions, and we appreciate their vision.”

PPL Renewable Energy and the borough worked together to build a 4-mile power line to connect the landfill energy project to the borough’s electric system. The electricity will be used to help meet the needs of the borough’s 11,200 electric customers.

“We were able to deliver this project on time and under budget. More importantly, energy from this renewable project will meet a significant portion of our customers’ overall energy needs moving forward. We could not have achieved such an important milestone without the support of State Sen. Richard Alloway, State Rep. Rob Kauffman and the Greene Township Board of Supervisors,” added Ronald Pezon, Chambersburg’s electric superintendent.

The new facility also benefits the environment by generating electricity from a renewable fuel that would have otherwise been flared off. By offsetting power from other sources, the project offers the potential to avoid the production of more than 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. That produces the same environmental benefit as taking 7,000 cars off the road, not consuming 4 million gallons of gasoline, or eliminating the import and consumption of 80,000 barrels of oil.

“We understand the importance of conserving natural resources,” said Sam Donato, manager of IESI Blue Ridge Landfill. “This project, like our comprehensive recycling efforts, underscores our commitment to responsible operations and continuous improvement.”

About PPL Renewable Energy, LLC
PPL Renewable Energy develops, owns, operates and maintains renewable and green energy projects in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States, with a portfolio of projects that totals more than 60 megawatts of electricity generation — enough to power 30,000 homes. These include solar panel installations, wind and landfill gas-to-energy projects in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont and New Jersey. PPL Renewable Energy has been recognized by environmental and government agencies with several awards for renewable energy projects. More information is available at www.pplrenewableenergy.com.

About Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd.
As one of North America's largest full-service waste management companies, Progressive Waste Solutions provides non-hazardous solid waste collection, recycling and disposal services to commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers in 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and six Canadian provinces. The company serves its customers with vertically integrated collection and disposal assets. Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd.’s shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the symbol BIN. To find out more about Progressive Waste Solutions, visit our website at www.progressivewaste.com.

About the Borough of Chambersburg
The borough of Chambersburg is the largest of only 35 municipal electric systems in Pennsylvania. The borough recently announced plans to reduce its rates by 10 percent this year due to its new diversified electric portfolio strategy. The strategy was developed and implemented by an energy team under the direction of Borough Manager Jeffrey Stonehill. This 10 percent planned reduction, coupled with the elimination of two previously slated combined electric rate increases of 15 percent from three years ago, has resulted in an overall electric cost saving for borough ratepayers of 25 percent in just three years. For more information or photos of the EGF transmission line, call Ronald Pezon at the borough, (717) 261-3238, or email rpezon@chambersburgpa.gov.