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Minutes - Regular Meeting <br /> Solid Waste Advisory Board <br /> October 2, 2008 <br /> Approved January 15, 2009 <br /> Spire states that the commercial terms of the contract haven' t been completely ironed <br /> out. The University will receive all the carbon credits from this project. And that' s <br /> the major good they' re getting from this project. To maximize that, they want to have <br /> that where they can also get those and utilize the electricity within their own facility . <br /> Getting to the Homestead facility that they currently own would be easier than going <br /> through the Town of Chapel Hill to do what they are wanting to do to get a facility <br /> built and run their own duct bank to their facility . <br /> Masson states that UNC wants its own [ generator] for methane destruction and <br /> power purchase offsets . The gas is no longer vented and it helps meet the UNC goal <br /> of sustainable leadership . The former Chancellor made the commitment to make <br /> Carolina North a model of sustainability . It is a green project and this helps with <br /> carbon neutrality . We ' re in the final stages of the contract with Orange County and <br /> considering the various pipe routing alternatives . We have some issues to work out <br /> on crossing County owned land, Town of Chapel Hill and NCDOT . There are also a <br /> number of permits that have to be obtained air permits, landfill permits . Then it has <br /> to be designed and we are not pressing forward with design until then. The tentative <br /> date for Board approval is in November - we can begin flaring in late 2010 and begin <br /> power generation in early 2011 . <br /> Sassaman states that there has been at least one concern about the pipeline and the <br /> pipeline routing . People in the neighborhood were concerned that a pipeline would <br /> be going through the neighborhood without thinking there are gas pipelines now <br /> going through the neighborhood . You might want to be prepared for that at the <br /> public hearing . The question that I have is, " Is there any State or Federal regulatory <br /> authority over gas transmission? " <br /> Vickers points out that if you sell the gas to someone you' re a regulated utility, but if <br /> you use it yourself, you' re not. <br /> Pollock states that regarding the carbon benefits there are some new discussions going <br /> on about the immediacy of the methane because the problem is occurmg now . <br /> Because if you look at the stream of methane over a 100 year period you are talking <br /> about 20 times carbon dioxide equivalent. But in the 20 year time frame some people <br /> are now talking about 72 times as much [ greenhouse gas trapping effect] which <br /> fundamentally changes the economics of carbon offset. I don' t know if that has <br /> entered into the discussion . <br /> Barner states that the contract is still in negotiations . There are discussions going on <br /> about that. It may change down the road . <br /> 3 <br />