www.washingtonelectric.coop Vol. 64, No. 5 The newsletter of Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc., East Montpelier, Vermont. August 2003 WEC To Generate Power From Methane Co-op, Casella Announce Joint Project To Produce Renewable Energy By Barry Bernstein and Avram Patt Washington Electric Cooperative’s waste-to-energy station will be constructed at the state’s largest landfill, in Coventry. At right is the landfill’s he Board of Directors and entrance, near Vermont Route 5. Below, a new section of the lined landfill. management of Washington T Electric Cooperative are pleased to announce to our members that we have begun the process of developing an electric-generation project that will be a major source of affordable renewable energy for many years to come. The project will generate electricity from methane gas produced at the state’s largest landfill in Coventry, Vermont. The power produced will be used by WEC solely to serve our own members’ future developing our own landfill-gas energy needs. generating facility could offer us many Although we are just beginning the benefits compared to other options. formal approval process for this project The Coventry landfill is owned and (which ultimately culminates with a operated by New England Waste membership vote), we wanted you to be Services of Vermont, a wholly owned the first to know. subsidiary of Casella Waste Systems, As members and readers of Co-op Inc. The landfill is currently in the Currents are aware, the Co-op has been process of obtaining permits for an looking to meet our future long-term expansion that is projected to extend its energy needs from renewable sources to life at least through 2030. the greatest extent possible. After much will be local should enable WEC to avoid Some Background We first entered into discussions with analysis, we determined that renewable “congestion charges,” a cost that may There are presently an estimated 230 Casella more than a year ago, and sources were likely to be economical, soon be imposed upon utilities for long- landfill gas-to-electricity projects operating reached a preliminary agreement in late and that the costs would be much more distance power transmission. And the in the United States. Landfill gas has December 2002. This summer, we stable and predictable over longer economic benefits (construction and been a significant source of WEC’s finalized our agreements. periods of time than other alternatives operation of the facility) will stay within existing power supply since early 2002. (oil, natural gas, etc.). The fact that the Vermont. When we stopped taking nuclear power Benefits for WEC, its fuel source and power-generation facility from Vermont Yankee we replaced most of it by purchasing low-cost power from a members, and the Inside landfill generator in Connecticut. That environment contract will expire at the end of 2004. Over the coming months, we will be However, we recognized then that providing Co-op members with detailed WEC is hosting regional dinner meetings in Moretown and continued on page 8 Corinth for Co-op members, to share information and to listen and learn. Consider attending these September Washington Electric Cooperative meetings. See page 2. East Montpelier, VT 05651 Outages in East Montpelier and Filmmaker John O’Brien (with friend nearby areas have inconve- Mel, above) finds inspiration and life- nienced many members. Read lessons in his native Tunbridge. about the reasons and WEC’s efforts O’Brien, and his new movie ‘Nosey to remedy them on page 2. Parker,’ are profiled on page 4. GREEN POWER! Co-ops and munic- Work starts on new South ipal utilities all over America are getting Walden substation. See photos, serious about it. Page 3. page 7. Page 2, Co-op Currents, August 2003 www.washingtonelectric.coop Outages, And An Avian Tragedy ost Vermonters are familiar with make repairs and have the system The crack in the great blue heron. A long- running again in about 40 minutes – this insulator M legged wading bird with a which included drive time to the reveals the curved neck, pointed beak and large substation. problems WEC wingspan, herons arouse a sense of Approximately 1,500 Co-op members is having with wonder and respect among most people, receive their power through the East certain equip- no matter how often they see them. Montpelier substation. ment installed But unfortunately, it was a heron that just a decade caused an outage during the evening of Tougher problem ago. The only August 7 that affected everyone who Accidents and mishaps are bound to solution is receives power through Washington happen when you impose an electric replacing all the Electric’s East Montpelier substation. At system on the natural environment. But faulty insulators some time around 8:45 p.m., the bird flew Co-op members in that same general and cutouts. into the high-voltage lines leading from area and elsewhere also have a the substation’s transformers, killing the legitimate gripe this summer about heron and triggering an electrical outage. repeated power losses (blinking and “We were getting calls from people momentary interruptions) and outages on who live on every one of the feeders WEC’s lines. company was a reputable manufacturer patience while we work toward replacing (power line circuits) in that area,” said They are the result of moisture, during and sold its cutouts and insulators (which these malfunctioning devices.” WEC Engineering and Operations this unusually rainy summer, shorting out are also proving faulty) to many utilities. It is a labor-intensive, step-by-step Director Dan Weston, “so we knew the electrical devices that are faulty to begin But the porcelain housing has proved process. In July WEC’s crews shut down problem was at the substation.” with. susceptible to cracking in Vermont’s the Horn of the Moon feeder for an hour Linemen Bob Fair, Tim Pudvah, Readers of Co-op Currents know that extreme weather, which allows moisture while they worked their way through, Mark Maloney and Larry Brassard all WEC has had problems with “cutouts” (a to enter and short out the device. replacing the cutouts and insulators with responded, driving to the East Montpelier fuse and housing assembly) “With this high humidity and heat a new kind made of polymer that resists substation from their homes. They found manufactured by the A.B. Chance they’re failing in great numbers,” Weston cracking. But WEC has 1,200 miles of the dead bird, but fortunately they also Company. They were purchased and said. line to maintain, and during the summer found that none of the substation mounted by the thousands on WEC’s Sometimes the result is a full-scale construction season new homes are equipment was ruined. They were able to electric system in the early 1990s. The power outage affecting several homes, being added on nearly every day and the farms and businesses. Other times the Co-op must respond to their owners’ power fails very briefly before a device requests for new line extensions. There’s Co-op Currents called a “recloser” automatically kicks the only so much the crews can get done in power back on again. But even that brief a 10-hour work day. Co-op Currents (Publication No. USPS 711 -210 and ISSN No. 0746-8784) is published interruption causes digital clocks and “When we get an opportunity to isolate monthly except February, May, August and November by Washington Electric Coop- some other devices to need to be reset. an area and take care of it, we’ll be doing erative, Inc., Route 14, P.O. Box 8, East Montpelier, Vermont 05651. The cost of this publi- cation is 37¢, which is included in the basic monthly charge to each member. Periodical Recurring problems have been worst that,” said Weston. “But a lot of the time postage rates at East Montpelier and at additional offices. Postmaster: Send address in East Montpelier (in the Horn of the we’re jumping from place to place changes to Co-op Currents, P.O. Box 8, East Montpelier, Vermont 05651. Moon area), in Middlesex and in Fayston. responding to people’s calls for help, But they have affected other areas as Board of Directors while also trying to do our summer President BARRY BERNSTEIN 1237 Bliss Road, Marshfield, Vt. 05658 456-8843 well. maintenance and line construction. [email protected] “We are fully aware of the nuisance “The best I can tell folks now is that Vice President ROGER FOX 2067 Bayley-Hazen Rd., East Hardwick, 563-2321 and inconvenience to our members that we realize what the problem is and are Vt. 05836-9873 [email protected] Treasurer DONALD DOUGLAS 21 Douglas Rd., East Orange, Vt. 05086 439-5364 these problems are causing,” said doing our best to address it. In all [email protected] Weston. “I guess I need to ask for their honesty, it’s going to take time.” WENDELL CILLEY 5 Warsley Road, West Topsham, Vt. 05086 439-6138 [email protected] CHARLES HAAS 4733 South Road, Bradford, Vt. 05033 439-5397 [email protected] MONIQUE HAYDEN 407 Weir Road; Williamstown, Vt. 05679 433-6170 [email protected] MARION MILNE 1705 E. Orange Rd., W. Topsham, Vt. 05086 439-5404 WEC To Convene Local [email protected] CARLA R. PAYNE 1554 US Rt. 2; West Danville, Vt. 05873 563-2390 [email protected] Meetings In Moretown, Corinth RICHARD RUBIN 3496 East Hill Rd., Plainfield, Vt. 05667 454-8542 [email protected] AVRAM PATT WILL LINDNER TIM NEWCOMB nce every year Washington However, a year between meetings General Manager Editor Layout Electric Cooperative hosts a can be a pretty long time.