Wanner Farm Receives Funding For Installation of an Anaerobic Digester for Electrical Production and Reduction of Greenhouse Gases                                                   

The Sustainable Energy Fund
John Forsyth
(610) 264-4440 x17
jforsyth@thesef.org

 

2007-04-16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2007

 
Wanner Farm Receives Funding For Installation of an Anaerobic Digester for Electrical Production and Reduction of Greenhouse Gases

Narvon, PA, April 16, 2007 – Officials from The Wanner Farm, a 600 head dairy operation, announced it has received funding from the Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) of Central Eastern Pennsylvania to complete the installation of an anaerobic digester to process dairy manure and generate electricity for dairy operations and possible resale to the power grid. 

 
In July, construction is expected to be completed on an anaerobic digester that will convert animal waste to electricity at a rate of 1million kilowatt hours per year.  At that rate, it is enough to provide green electricity to approximately 40 houses in the PPL power grid for one year.  In addition to providing “green” or renewable energy, the project will result in the creation of renewable energy credits and carbon credits. 

 
“The Sustainable Energy Fund is pleased to partner with the Wanner Farm to finance an anaerobic digester for the production of green electricity, reduction of greenhouse gases, improved manure handling, reduced odor generation, and to provide bedding material for the dairy herd.  These projects are a natural fit with the SEF’s mission of developing and investing in economically viable, energy related projects that promote environmentally sound and sustainable energy use,” said John Forsythe, SEF Project Manager.

 
Manure digesters are beginning to make financial sense for livestock producers, particularly during a time when locating and creating alternative energy sources have gained national and state focus.  Aside from turning manure from a waste product into a renewable energy source, digesters are one way for large concentrated feeding operations to meet the environmental and public pressures of managing manure.

 
“The SEF of Central Eastern Pennsylvania is leading the way in efforts to create a diversified energy base by investing in technologies that will promote renewable energy and assist the agricultural community to manage manure wastes more efficiently”, stated Jennifer Hopkins, President of the Sustainable Energy Fund.  “Investing in these type of projects will result in furthering Pennsylvania in meeting the objectives of Governor Rendell’s Energy Independence Strategy which aims to reduce Pennsylvania’s reliance on foreign fuels and increase Pennsylvania’s clean energy production strategy over the next 10 years”.

Pennsylvania has one of the nation’s most progressive alternative energy portfolio standards.  It states that by 2020, 18 percent of all retail energy must come from clean, efficient and advanced resources.