Jacoby turns garbage into fuel options – Orlando Business Journal:

And Jacoby has its first partner , the largest natural gas distributotr in the Southeastwith 1.5 million customers. Jacoby Development, founded by smart-growth pioneed Jim Jacoby, is using technologyh that converts methane gas atDeKalb County’as shuttered Live Oak Landfill into clean-burning natural gas. Jacoby began workin on the process three yearsd ago atthe site, whicn closed in 2004. Jacoby Development, through its affiliate , recentl began operating the conversion equipment at its Live Oak planft and could be up to full capacitgy by the end ofthe month.
The Live Oak facilituy can help diversifythe state’s gas supplies — something that over time may help when hurricanesa disrupt Gulf Coast pipelines. Live Oak could producs natural gas for at least20 years, Jacoby Developmen said. Atlanta Gas Light is also exploringf other landfills in Georgiaw that could offer thesame potential. “Landfilk gas can be a supplement, though it’s not enough by itself to make much of a dent insupplty shortages,” said Atlanta Gas Light spokeswoman Tami Gerke. Live Oak is the largestf renewable energy program involving methane gas in the statew and one of only two operations of its kind in The Winder, Ga.
, landfill is also convertinvg methane, which is createc by the decomposition of yard and household Along with carbon dioxide, methane is a greenhouss gas that can contribute to global Jacoby Development, which is known for environmental operates a large plant at the Live Oak landfill staffefd with engineers and outfitted with technolog developed by a division of the French companu . The method involves manipulating a membranew that purifies methaneinto clean-burning natural gas.
Jacoby’xs is one of at least 11 sites in the United Statexs that uses technology toconvert methane, said John general counsel for Jacoby Development, whose job also includes expandinvg the company’s renewable energy “Most of the gas that is sold in Georgiaa comes from somewhere else,” Borden said. “Youh have pipeline risk and transportation costs toworruy about. But, we are tapping into gas that is otherwise being burned, and it’w a type of process that can be replicate elsewhere. … I think you’rr going to see more landfills used as an alternativse sourceof energy.
” Jacoby Development is pursuing severao similar opportunities across the Southeast, Borden Customers may one day includr Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, said Jacobyy recently. However, expansion of similar renewable energty sitesfaces hurdles. Not every landfill offers the same Live Oak Landfill closedin 2004, not long enoughj for its methane gas supplies to deplete The landfill, which was acceptingf slightly more than 1 million tons of trash per was also large enough to offe r at least a 20-year supplyt of methane — a necessity for an operationn like Jacoby’s to consider cost-effective.
“Some of thes e landfills may have been closed for 10 or 15 Bordensaid “The challenge is finding a site that is largew enough and new enough. … But, what you’res going to see is the numbeer of these projectspopping up, becausr the technology is proven.” Natural gas prices will also need to run at leasft at least $6 a decatherm a unit of measurement used by gas companieas — for Jacoby and others to make the economicws work, Borden said. Natural gas prices have reached as highas $13.590 a decatherm during the past year on the .

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