“A new lease agreement between Catawba County [North Carolina] and Apple will allow for the construction of a renewable energy facility that harnesses landfill gas,” Kevin Griffin reports for The Hickory Record. “The lease, approved by the Board of Commissioners on Monday, provides Apple with about 3.7 acres on the Blackburn Resource Recovery Facility in Newton. Apple’s renewable energy facility will use treated methane from the landfill to create electricity using fuel cells.”
“Entering into the agreement with Apple helps the county in a number of ways, County Attorney Debra Bechtel said,” Griffin reports. “‘There are absolutely no county tax dollars involved in this, there are no dollars out of the solid waste enterprise fund that are being involved. In fact, all the county is getting out this are benefits,’ Bechtel said.”
“The lease also will allow the county to avoid buying another engine in the near future, as well as give the county a role in producing clean energy,” Griffin reports. “‘We’ll be able to say we were involved in hopefully developing the next great energy source that is clean and safe for citizens across the entire country,’ Bechtel said.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Since methane gas reportedly has twenty-one times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, it’s certainly better to turn it into electricity than let it vent into the atmosphere. Congrats, Apple!
SEE ALSO:
Apple Inc. forms Apple Energy company; looks to sell electricity into grid and perhaps directly to consumers – June 9, 2016