Trash-To-Gas Power Plant Gets Greenlight [in WA!]

Slashdot ^ | 11/21/10 | samzenpus

[Clint Williams]

An anonymous reader writes

"Beginning in a little more than a week, Green Power, Inc. of Pasco, Washington will be commencing the building of municipal-solid-waste-to-fuel plants for clients around the world, with $2 billion in contracts; now that an EPA ruling has exonerated GPI from an unnecessary shut-down order by the Washington Ecology Department last year. This fuel would be of higher quality and cheaper than fuel derived from crude oil — and it comes from local feedstock, while turning waste into energy. Now your laptop can turn into a quart of diesel fuel to power your trip to the dump. And the ocean gyres of trash the size of Texas can power Texas. This is an update on a Slashdot story from nine months ago.

[Batrachian]

Wonderful! These plants typically cost hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars and then run in the red forever. But, the watermelons in WA won’t care.

[bray]

Not to mention they pollute more than the cars they are trying to fuel, its a green green world. As long as they aren’t drilling for oil, that’s all that counts.

Pray for America

[runninglips]

Did you hear that the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles is going to mount wind turbines and solar panels on the outside of the stadium? His goal is a completely “green” stadium. I wonder how much this will cost taxpayers, cost the team, and save in power? I already know that the standard power supply must still remain in place, to take over when his “green” power plant fails. I suppose it means that when the stadium produces power and is empty, it sells the power back to the grid at the owners profit, but it spreads the cost on all taxpayers......sweet deal if you can get it.

[television is just wrong]

my brother just moved out of WA because he spent 3 years looking for work unsuccessfully.

[bigbob]

They should build one in Washingon DC and use BS as the feedstock

[catnipman]

Nothing new under the sun. These solid waste plants have always been a scam. Like waterparks and monorails. Now we have the "green" version of the old municipal incinerator scam.

I swear, no one ever learns anything in this country. Harrisburg, PA is bankrupt because they bought a nearly $300 million incinerator on credit decades ago.

These incinerators were a big-time scam in the early 1980's. Like waterparks, aquariums, and yes, monorails.

When I was on city council in Longmont in the early 80's, we had a big presentation by one of these incinerator hucksters. I suppose the only reason it was on the docket was because the city manager had been promised a job running it if it was built.

At any rate, a guy who looked, dressed, and sounded like Lyle Lanley the monorail huckster on The Simpsons launched into his incinerator pitch. Bottom line, $300,000,000 plus interest on the bonds, plus losses on operating expenses, etc. And all this for a town with a population of 50,000 at the time. At any rate, we sent the guy packing. Looks like the fools that ran Harrisburg bought one. I can just hear the strains of "Monorail" echoing in my mind:

"Monorail"

Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Monorail!
What'd I say?

Ned Flanders: Monorail!

Lyle Lanley: What's it called?

Patty+Selma: Monorail!

Lyle Lanley: That's right! Monorail!

[crowd chants `Monorail' softly and rhythmically]

Miss Hoover: I hear those things are awfully loud...

Lyle Lanley: It glides as softly as a cloud.

Apu: Is there a chance the track could bend?

Lyle Lanley: Not on your life, my Hindu friend.

Barney: What about us brain-dead slobs?

Lyle Lanley: You'll be given cushy jobs.

Abe: Were you sent here by the devil?

Lyle Lanley: No, good sir, I'm on the level.

Wiggum: The ring came off my pudding can.

Lyle Lanley: Take my pen knife, my good man.

I swear it's Springfield's only choice... Throw up your hands and raise your voice!

All: Monorail!

Lyle Lanley: What's it called?

All: Monorail!

Lyle Lanley: Once again...

All: Monorail!

Marge: But Main Street's still all cracked and broken...

Bart: Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!

All: Monorail! Monorail! Monorail!

[big finish]

Monorail!

Homer: Mono... D'oh!

[jer33 3]

I’m not a watermelon lover by any means; however, I think biogas technology is critical for the stability and prosperity of our cities in the event of a crisis - economic or natural disaster - because regions can be self sustaining. Cost of production is about the same as natural gas and its a resource easily accessible.

[sniper63]

Aren’t there wind gusts in Philly in excess of 30 MPH, wind turbines produce most effective energy in 16 to 20 MPH steady winds, his plan is doomed to fail as the turbines would be locked down for much of the year.

[mainevet]

Wow! It puts out ONE whole Megawatt. Built at $25 million means $25,000 per Kilowatt. A typical Gas Fired Combined Cycle plant costs about $450 per Kilowatt and it burns another fuel we have plenty of.

[JerseyHighlander]

Exactly, and the Japanese have nuclear minireactors available for a city sized at 50,000 that would still be more cost effective.

Alaska is using Toshiba, why can’t Washington State?

[mainevet]

That burns by butt big time. Toshiba owning Westinghouse.

[sionnsar]

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

Quick link: WA State Board

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