What made Milwaukee famous next
14 Oct 2002
It might have been beer that originally made Milwaukee famous, but duck manure could soon be putting Wisconsin on the map in an even bigger way.
All thanks to the local firm of We Energies who, just four days ago, celebrated Wisconsin's first fully operational duck-manure-to-energy digester facility with a grand opening at Maple Leaf Farms, the leading US duck producer based in Franksville, Racine County, Wisconsin.
As animal waste decomposes, it releases methane gas. A manure digester speeds up this process and captures the methane. The gas is then used to fuel a small power plant. The generating unit at Maple Leaf Farms produces 200 kW, enough to provide electricity for about 75 homes.
Maple Leaf Farms owns and operates the manure digester facility, and generates the electricity. We Energies purchases the renewable energy for distribution throughout its service area.
Capturing methane from animal waste has important environmental and aesthetic benefits. Methane is twenty times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Capturing and burning it to produce electricity reduces its negative environmental impact while providing a reliable source of renewable energy.
We Energies recently formed a Renewable Energy Collaborative to guide the company in achieving its renewable energy commitments, which are that at least 5% of its retail electric energy sales will come from renewable energy sources by 2011.
The company will also spend an additional $6 million annually over 10 years to reach this target, pending regulatory approval.
