Qualco Energy

In the language of the Salish people, Qualco means “where two rivers come together.” At the point where the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers meet, three diverse groups of people came together in 2008 to form Qualco Energy.

Dairy farmers were seeking to protect their land from flooding; Northwest Chinook Recovery was working to improve salmon habitat; and the Tulalip tribes considered the river their life blood. Finding common ground in the river they shared, they formed a nonprofit partnership to operate an anaerobic digester.

The unusual alliance has benefitted both farming and salmon. “Anytime you get environmentalists, farmers and Indian tribes working on a project together, that’s a win-win solution,” says Mel Sheldon, chairman of the 3,500-member Tulalip tribes.

The gas produced by Qualco’s 450 kilowatt generator comes from the manure of 1,300 cows, plus off-site waste, including food grease, whey, expired wine and beer, and fish waste. Producers of the off-site waste provide “tipping fees” to Qualco. Power sales to Puget Sound Energy, along with tipping fees, are expected to put Qualco on solid financial footing by the end of this year. Since Qualco is a nonprofit organization, it aims to invest the revenue it earns from power sales into renewable-energy projects, natural-habitat restoration and state-of-the-art farming practices.

The next phase for Qualco is to add a second generator that would be able to produce 1.2 megawatts of electricity. The company’s ultimate goal is to help start a national movement to turn waste into a fuel source that could meet 15% of the US’s energy needs. “You’re taking all the waste and pollutants out of the environment,” says Qualco president John Sayle, “then you’re creating energy with it, and ending up with environmentally safe compost that you can use to fertilize your fields. That’s one heck of a good thing to do.”

Farm Power

Kevin Maas and his brother Daryl got into the biogas business because they saw family-owned dairies disappearing, squeezed by financial pressures and environmental regulations. The Maas brothers wanted to preserve a local industry they considered crucial to communities like the one where they were raised, in rural Skagit County, Washington. They began looking for a way to help make dairy farming profitable and sustainable.

In 2007, they launched Farm Power and set out to build a manure digester near their home town of Mount Vernon. Fundraising was a challenge, but it helped that the founders had local roots and an agreement to sell electricity to Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program, which is supported by participating customers, like you, who want to support the development of renewable energy. “Farm Power and PSE are a great team,” President Kevin Maas said when the agreement was signed, noting that Green Power’s commitment brought the digester “One step closer to reality.”

The digester opened 2½ years later, and began collecting manure from two nearby dairy farms that had been scraping waste from 1200 cows into uncovered lagoons. Burning the greenhouse gas that the lagoons formerly released into the air, Farm Power’s 750 kilowatt generator produces electricity for PSE’s Green Power Program. In addition to fuel, the company’s digester produces pathogen-free liquid fertilizer that gets returned to partner-farmers, as well as solid material that the farmers use for cow bedding. The farms save $100,000 to $200,000 a year on bedding, which they now get for free from Farm Power in exchange for providing manure.

Farm Power’s goal is to build manure digesters that will serve dairy farms throughout the Pacific Northwest, where most farms are too small to build their own digesters. The company works with groups of dairy farmers, designing and operating regional digesters to make them profitable. Farm Power currently operates digesters in Mount Vernon and Lynden, Washington, with a third digester set to begin operation in Enumclaw this Fall. The operations in Washington produce enough electricity for about 1,000 homes, and keep enough methane out of the atmosphere to equal the annual greenhouse-gas emissions of 3,000 cars.

Farm Power’s founders like to say that their company operates at “the intersection of sustainable agriculture and renewable energy.” Puget Sound Energy customers who would like to join them at the crossroads can support local farms by visiting the Green Power web page and enrolling in the Green Power Program.

Vivala

Signing up for Green Power was right in synch with Vivala owner Cheryl Selby’s vision of a business that would make a positive contribution to the community. It also turned out to be a very affordable way to support sustainability and the development of local renewable-energy producers. “It was the perfect match of doing the right thing and managing my resources wisely,” Selby says.

Archibald Sisters

Owner Phil Rollins says that the Archibald Sisters’ participation in Green Power is an attraction for customers. “It makes people feel good that the business is part of the Green Power Program,” he says, “and makes customers feel like they are doing a green thing.” It makes employees feel good as well. “It’s important to me to work for a company that stands by its values,” says Ashley DeLancy, a salesperson at Archibald Sisters since 2008. “I like knowing that my employer cares about our community and our future.”

Intercity Transit

Joining PSE’s Green Power program was an effective way for Intercity Transit to advance its mission to provide and promote transportation choices that support an accessible, sustainable, livable, healthy and prosperous community. “Using public transportation is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your daily impact on the planet,” says Intercity Transit General Manager, Mike Harbour. “By signing up for Green Power, Intercity Transit took green transportation a step further to benefit the environment we all share.”