Eastern Landfill Gas Expands Operations in Summer 2022

As part of a County initiative to reduce methane emissions and encourage the development of renewable energy projects simultaneously, the Eastern Sanitary Landfill routes collected landfill gas to a third party, Eastern Landfill Gas (ELG). ELG's system consists of four Waukesha engine-generators that use compressed landfill gas to generate renewable electricity. The original ELG Landfill Gas System Lease started in September 2002 with a 20 year term. In March 2020, the County entered an extension agreement with ELG that includes providing significant upgrades to the existing electric plant, adding a fourth engine and selling power from the project directly to Baltimore County under the electric utility’s (BGE) aggregate net metering program. This reduces a portion of the County’s annual electrical purchases by the annual plant output.  This contractual arrangement provides significant additional economic and community benefits to the County while allowing ELG to create regional renewable energy credits. Each 1,000 kW ELG engine is currently generating about 6,700,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year. A fourth engine came online on June 1, 2022, which is expected to increase energy generation to approximately 26,800,000 kWh in fiscal year 2023.

Baltimore County's Bureau of Solid Waste Management continues to update the landfill gas network that collects and routes this gas in accordance with industry best management practices, best available technology and federal compliance timelines.

According to the EPA, landfill waste accounts for the third-largest man-made source of methane in the country and reducing methane emissions from landfills is one of the best ways to provide an immediate and beneficial impact in combatting the impacts of climate change.