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North Troy Farm Installing Methane Digester |
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Wednesday, 07 October 2009 |
Chaput Family Farms in North Troy is in the process of installing a methane digester. Pictured is the digester tank, under construction. (Photo by Laura Carpenter)
By LAURA CARPENTER
Express Staff Writer
NORTH TROY — Chaput Family Farms is in the process of installing a methane digester. The power created will be sold to Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC). The farm will then buy power from VEC off the grid, said farm owner Reg Chaput.
Chaput will make more money by selling all the power he generates to
VEC than he would by powering his farm and then selling what is
remaining. The Vermont energy bill that passed in the spring will pay
16 cents per kilowatt-hour. In addition, Chaput will earn renewable
energy credits, at about four cents per kilowatt-hour. The utility
companies around the state are obligated to buy all methane generated
by farms up to 50 megawatts statewide. Chaput farms will generate about
one megawatt of power.
Together all the utility companies will pay for the power generated by
farms. However the rates to customers or members will not be affected,
said Dave Hallquist the CEO of VEC.
Chaput received a Certificate of Public Good from the state Public Service Board on September 23.
Plans for the digester installation began in 2007. Now the digester
tank, which stands 18 feet high with a 106-foot circumference is in
the process of being built. A separator building will be constructed
that will separate liquids from solids. An engine room will also be
built. The methane will power the engine.
Chaput says the project will be complete and online by next August.
There are two reasons for the project, Chaput explained in an interview
Tuesday. Being able to sell the power to electric companies is one. The
other is the fact that it is good for the environment because methane
gases will be removed and not released into the atmosphere. And it
reduces odor pollution. The solids created in the process will be used
for cow bedding, which will save costs.
Chaput says that the project will help supplement income for his dairy
farm during tough times. He anticipates the current financial struggles
facing farmers will be resolved soon, even before the methane digester
is up and running, he said. But he acknowledged milk price volatility.
The project costs $1.8 million. It is being paid for by grants and
loans. The grants are from the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), the Clean Energy Development Fund, the Agency of Agriculture,
and the Central Vermont Public Service Renewable Energy Fund. The loans
are through the USDA and the Clean Energy Development Fund.
Chaput said the energy bill that was passed in the spring has created a
good benefit for developing the project, and it guarantees a profit.
On the Chaput Farm there are 910 cows that produce milk. There are a total of 1,700 cattle and 1,800 acres of land.
Reg Chaput is business partners with his brother, Michael Chaput.
Reg Chaput has been farming for 30 years. The Chaput farm was built in 1994.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 12 October 2009 )
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