Duke Energy to turn Durham landfill gas into power
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - Duke Energy is going to tap a landfill in Durham for methane gas that will be turned into electricity.
Duke said it had signed a contract with Methane Power, a renewable energy developer, to purchase two megawatts of power that will be produced by methane that is created by the landfill.
Financial terms were not disclosed. The agreement covers 20 years.
However, Duke Energy estimated the cost of the power would be “less than 10 cents a year” for residential customers.
Duke Energy has more than 2.3 million customers.
The gas is currently burned off at the landfill, which has been closed for several years.
According to Duke Energy, the gas will produce enough power for 1,600 residential customers. Duke expects to begin producing power as of May 1, 2009.
The agreement is one of several Duke Energy has signed in recent months to acquire energy from renewable resources, including three solar projects. Duke Energy also is investing in wind power projects.
Related News

Ireland and France will connect their electricity grids - here's how
DUBLIN - France and Ireland signed contracts on Friday to advance the Celtic Interconnector, a subsea electricity link to allow the exchange of electricity between the two EU countries. It will be the first interconnector between continental Europe and Ireland.
Representatives for Ireland’s electricity grid operator EirGrid and France’s grid operator RTE signed financial and technical agreements for the high-voltage submarine cable. The countries’ respective energy ministers witnessed the signing.
European commissioner for energy Kadri Simson said:
In the current energy market situation and the need to move away from imports of Russian fossil fuels, European energy infrastructure has become more important than…