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Fairfield Looks Into Producing Green Energy

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield might soon go into the green energy business. Public Works Assistant Director Ed Boman has pitched a plan to turn otherwise wasted space in downtown Fairfield into renewable energy for town-owned buildings.

“[The program] would give us a long-term stability for our electrical costs, a reliable source of power, and it will increase our green power supply,” Boman told the Board of Selectmen on Wednesday.

The plan would take advantage of a state program designed to add stable, renewable energy to Connecticut’s grid. United Illuminating and Northeast Utilities have been offered $1 billion in tax credits to work with towns and private companies to build green energy production facilities across the state.

At least two different projects would work well in Fairfield, Boman said. One idea is to place photovoltaic panels on top of the town’s covered landfill. He estimates the panels would gather about 1.6 megawatts of solar electricity, enough to power the Fairfield Senior Center building, the Department of Public Works garage, the trash transfer station and half of the wastewater treatment plant.

Another project would be to install a methane generator at the wastewater treatment plant. The system would gather the methane gas generated by the facility’s work, removing greenhouse gases from the air. That gas would then power a diesel generator to provide both heat and electricity to the plant.

“Being able to use the methane gas that’s otherwise just being wasted, I’m really happy about this,” said Selectman Cristin McCarthy Vahey.

A private energy company would design and build both projects, and run them for 20 years. In return Fairfield would get the energy they produce at a rate lower than it would get through its normal bidding process.

“In the end, the program offers the town an opportunity to use proven technology to save taxpayer dollars for 20 years, to increase the use of green power and reduce both criteria pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions into our air, and at the same time improving public health,” Boman said.

Fairfield’s Public Works Department will work with private contractors over the next few weeks to come up with exact plans for the project.

Boman said he expects to present his ideas for approval to the Board of Selectmen on June 6. If approved by the town, the ideas will be submitted to United Illuminating in an attempt to get a contract.

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