Thurston County to reuse waste gas for heating
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON - Methane gas generated at a wastewater treatment plant in Olympia will be converted into energy to heat a new administration and education building.
A partnership of the cities of Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater, plus Thurston County, has approved a $2.6 million contract to install a cogeneration system that will supply about 11 percent of the heat and electricity for its new complex.
Officials tell The Olympian newspaper that the energy output will be 2.36 million kilowatt-hours — enough to power about 250 average-size homes.
Currently, the sewer utility simply burns off much of the methane.
The new system is expected to save the utility about $190,000 a year. It is expected to be operating in about 15 months.
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Cost, safety drive line-burying decisions at Tucson Electric Power
TUCSON - Though wildfires in California caused by power lines have prompted calls for more underground lines, Tucson Electric Power Co. plans to keep to its policy of burying lines selectively for safety.
Like many other utilities, TEP typically doesn’t install its long-range, high-voltage transmission lines and distribution equipment underground because of higher costs that would be passed on to ratepayers, TEP spokesman Joe Barrios said.
But the company will sometimes bury lower-voltage lines and equipment where it is cost-effective or needed for safety, or if customers or developers are willing to pay the higher installation costs
Underground installations generally include additional engineering…
