Related Topics
Related Stories
Federal stimulus funds will be used to convert manure and wood into electricity on two Lancaster County farms and in a commercial greenhouse.
The Lancaster County Conservation District will get $500,000 to fund an anaerobic digester on Meadow Valley Dairy in West Cocalico Township.
The digester will convert manure into electricity — enough to power 200 homes.
The conservation district also will get $474,502 for Esbenshade Greenhouses in Brickerville to install a combined heat and power system powered by biomass wood and possibly chicken litter.
In addition to generating electrical power and heat, plans include an energy conservation program anticipated to reduce current electrical demands by at least 5 percent. Enough power for 198 homes will be generated — sufficient to provide all the firm's needs plus excess power worth $188,000 annually.
PPL's Sustainable Energy Fund will get $263,416 to construct a compact anaerobic digester on the Meadow Springs Farm near Lititz to convert manure to energy.
The system is expected to generate enough electricity to power 39 homes and will save the farm $52,000 per year in energy costs.
The grants were among 12 handed out as part of Pennsylvania's Energy Harvest Program to fund clean energy projects.
E-mail: acrable@lnpnews.com
(270)
