Utah Valley Energy is planning the construction of a unique power plant in Spanish Fork that emits no carbon dioxide and uses common household garbage to generate electricity.

Marchant Wentworth, clean air representative with the Union of Concerned Scientists said there is a reason this plant is special and why solid waste is not often used as a means of power production.

"Solid waste tends to be very abrasive and problematic stuff," he said.

Wentworth said solid waste is less predictable than other combustible fuel types, which often results in wasteful power management within the plant itself. He said many waste-energy plants have failed in the past because they were not cost- or energy-efficient enough.

"This has to be as close to self-sustaining at a reasonable price as possible," he said.

Grov Beckham, CEO of Utah Valley Energy, said there are several things that make the proposed plant revolutionary.

After recyclables are removed, the organic materials, called biomass materials, would provide the fuel for power production. The key to preventing carbon dioxide emissions is that the waste materials will not be burned. They will be cooked at approximately 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit in an oxygen-free environment. Propane gas on a closed loop cycle will then turn turbines to generate electricity. When the propane cools down and resumes a liquid form it is circulated through the system again.

Beckham said once construction begins, it will take from nine months to a year to have the plant built. Utah Valley Energy will use a $31 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as funds from private investors to get the project off the ground.

Before building, however, Utah Valley Energy needs to secure certain government approvals. Beckham said the environmental impact report the federal government requires is showing some very promising data.

"If anything it's a positive impact," he said.

Spanish Fork was not always the intended building site. Utah Valley Energy originally intended to supplant a waste transfer station in Springville with the new power plant. Richard Henry from the Springville Public Works Department said board members were interested to hear more about plans for the plant. However, the city of Spanish Fork offered Utah Valley Energy the chance to build there before the energy company heard back from Springville officials.

Although the proposed plant features cutting-edge technology, Beckham said he expects to see even more changes that gravitate toward the use of biomass materials.

"We're in the middle of what I would call the greatest energy change in the century," he said.

*This plant could mean big changes in the amount of waste filling Utah County landfills.

The facts:

The average person produces 4.5 lbs. garbage every day

That means Utah County produces 2 million lbs. of waste every day

The plant will reduce solid waste and won't produce additional carbon dioxide emissions, encouraging environmental responsibility.

*Courtesy of the Daily Herald