VT Cows Produce Electricity

Here’s one more reason why ILoVermont. Residents in the state’s town of Bridport are now being offered a different option for their source of electricity. And it’s not wind power or solar power. Actually it’s the manure of the 1,500 cows at Blue Spruce Farm. Okay, now you may find this gross, but its not to the 1,000 residents that have already signed up. They’re paying 4 cents more per kilowatt-hour for this electricity and for good reason. Here’s how it works...

...as the manure is heated it produces methane gas as it breaks down. The gas is collected and used to power a generator, which sends electricity onto a power grid. This is the first time in the United States that farm-based electricity has been offered to customers as a renewable choice. In turn, the customers are supporting their local farmers. The manure is managed more responsibly and takes about three weeks to decompose. Wondering about that smell? Actually, extracting the gas from the manure gets rid of 90% of it. While farmers are looking forward to making money off of something other than the milk, the downside of this project is that getting started costs about $1.2 million. Let’s hope these cows can eat a lot, and quick. Via ::MSNBC [by Kara DiCamillo]