DeKalb County's Renewable Fuels Facility Faces New Delay Amid Contract Dispute

Thirteen years after DeKalb County began converting methane at the Seminole Road Landfill into natural gas, the county's Renewable Fuels Facility remains idle due to a contract dispute. The facility would have generated millions of dollars in revenue for the county, but the issue remains unresolved. Neighbors of the landfill have expressed frustration over the smell and environmental concerns, while the county's administration has kept the details of the dispute under wraps.

Key Takeaways:

• DeKalb County's Renewable Fuels Facility, which converts methane into natural gas, has been idle for over 5 years due to a contract dispute between the county and the operating contractor, Conyers Renewable Power.
• The facility would have generated at least $6 million in revenue by the end of 2022, according to the contract's revenue proposal, and up to $34 million over 10 years if it had operated as planned.
• The amended contract requires Conyers Renewable Power to begin operating the facility by next summer and to make purchases of major equipment within 3 months, begin construction this year, and start injecting fuel into the Atlanta Gas Light pipeline within 18 months.
• The county's administration has been participating in a dispute over investments in the facility, with Commissioner Ted Terry stating that the county and Conyers Renewable Power had been negotiating over investments in the facility.
• The facility's shutdown has resulted in the county losing millions of dollars in revenue, while also allowing methane, a greenhouse gas, to be flared, causing environmental concerns and a quality-of-life issue for neighbors.
• The county's Sanitation Division officials and administrators have not been available for interviews regarding the facility and the contract dispute.
• The DeKalb County Commission approved a new contractor, Conyers Renewable Power, in 2020 to restart the facility, but negotiations over the contract have continued long after the planned start-up date of 2023.
• President Obama's administration awarded $7.8 million in stimulus funding to DeKalb County for the Renewable Fuels Facility in 2009, highlighting the potential benefits of the project.
• The facility won an award from the National Association of Counties soon after its opening, but the project has been marred by disputes and delays.

Statistics:

• The DeKalb landfill was listed as No. 8 in the country for methane emissions in 2019, according to a study published last year in the scientific journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.
• The amended contract estimates the county will make $17 million to $34 million over 10 years from the sale of natural gas and environmental credits to fuel companies.
• The county would have made at least $6 million by the end of 2022 if the facility had operated as planned, according to the contract's revenue proposal.
• The contract requires Conyers Renewable Power to begin operating the facility by next summer and to make purchases of major equipment within 3 months, begin construction this year, and start injecting fuel into the Atlanta Gas Light pipeline within 18 months.

Sources:

• A study published last year in the scientific journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
• The 2022 contract between DeKalb and Conyers Renewable Power
• A written statement from Conyers Renewable Power managing member Gov Siegel
• Interviews with Commissioner Ted Terry and neighbors of the landfill
• The County Commission's meeting minutes and agendas
• The Georgia Open Records Act