Tennessee awards $250,000 matching grant for Lebanon's waste-to-energy system
A $250,000 (€225,000) matching funds grant has been awarded to the city of Lebanon in Tennessee, US to assist with the construction of a new waste-to-energy facility that will reduce landfill usage and provide clean electrical power.
The funding comes from the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant programme administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).
The biomass gasification plant can convert as much as 64 tonnes per day of wood waste, sewer sludge and used tires to electricity for use at Lebanon's waste-water treatment plant. The city contracted with PHG Energy of Nashville in February of this year to construct the facility. Completion is expected in mid-2016.
'Receiving this grant is very exciting for our city," Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead said. "It further validates our decision to pursue an aggressive clean energy and innovative waste disposal direction. There has been a terrific amount of cooperation between our staff, Wilson County, local industries and state officials during this development process.
'This is the second governmental financing source we have been able to employ,' says Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead. 'Funding for the project has already benefited from a federal programme that covers 70% of the interest cost for our bond issuance. '
That federal programme is the Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds (QECB) initiative that provides for repayment of a large portion of interest costs to government entities that implement qualifying energy and greenhouse gas reduction projects.
Funding for the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant programme originated from a federal court settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under the Clean Air Act that resulted in TVA providing the state $26.4 million over a period of years to fund designated environmental mitigation and energy projects carried out by municipal, county and other government agencies. TDEC was chosen to manage the selection process.
