The Township Middletown Sewerage Authority (TOMSA) will be saving more than $230,000 on electric bills annually once its new co-generation plant becomes operational next year.
TOMSA has received a $1.08 million grant from the New Jersey Clean Energy Program toward construction of a co-generation facility at the wastewater treatment plant. TOMSA, an award-winning authority, will use the facility to capture and convert methane gas into electricity. Methane gas, a by-product of the wastewater treatment process, is currently flared off into the air, said TOMSA Executive Director Patrick W. Parkinson.
“I applaud the sewerage authority for taking on this innovative project,” said Deputy Mayor Stephen G. Massell. “This new co-generation facility furthers Middletown’s commitment to generate new revenues, and reduce our carbon footprint to the extent possible.”
The electricity produced at the facility will support approximately 60 percent of the TOMSA’s electricity needs, Parkinson said. He noted the co-generation facility is scheduled for completion by mid-2013.
The co-generation facility will require a total investment of $3,100,000. Construction will be funded with the $1.08 million grant and $2.02 million from TOMSA. No funds will be borrowed to construct the facility. The project, which will pay for itself in nine years, allows TOMSA to continue providing sanitary sewer services to Middletown residents at rate of $70 per quarter, said Parkinson. He noted this rate is the lowest in Monmouth County and one of the lowest in New Jersey.
“It’s great news that the Sewerage Authority has found a new way to keep their costs low and fees stable,” said Mayor Anthony P. Fiore. “The new co-gen facility echoes our mandate of finding innovative ways to generate taxpayer savings while also providing a great benefit to our environment.”
Recent steps taken by the Township Committee to generate new savings and more revenues while delivering core governmental services at the most effective and efficient levels include expanding garbage and recycling services, embarking on a solar initiative in partnership with Monmouth County, greater use of document digitization, and purchasing gas and electric as part of a collective of governmental entities.