A $200 million dollar, 55 megawatt power plant will soon begin full scale production burning turkey litter, a combination of droppings, wood chips, seed hulls, shed feathers and spilled feed, to generate enough power for 50,000 homes. It used to be spread as fertilizer but caused a buildup of nitrates and phosphates in the soil. “We’ve got a long-term, economically and environmentally sustainable alternative to land-spreading — the only advancement in manure management technology since the development of the spreader,” said the fuels manager for Fibrominn, operator of the power plant. They say that because it comes from biomass it does not contribute to climate change.

One critic is David Morris, executive director of the Center for Local Self-Reliance, a Minneapolis-based think tank that focuses on helping communities get the most from their resource bases. Morris said burning turkey litter squanders a resource that’s more valuable as a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer than as kilowatts. (nitrogen fertilizers are made from fossil fuels).

Another chicken powered 20 megawatt plant is being built in Georgia. ::Fayetteville Observer

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