Lebanon Landfill

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 1 × C1000S Capstone Microturbine, gas conditioning skid and controller
• Revenue & Savings: ~$250,000 / year generated through electricity offsets, grid power sales, and Renewable Energy Credit (REC) monetization
• Taxpayer Impact: $0 cost to local tax rates - 100% self-funded via the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund while generating municipal fee offsets
• Biogas Benefits: Diverts ~350 scfm of flared methane to generate >5,000 MWh/year of clean baseload power and free heat
• Environmental Impact: Cuts up to 10,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions annually by turning harmful greenhouse gas into clean energy


The Challenge
The City of Lebanon Solid Waste Facility was flaring roughly 350 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of methane-rich landfill gas—literally burning away a high-value renewable resource while generating zero financial return. Meanwhile, municipal operations faced rising utility costs and grid power dependency. The city needed a proven way to capture this wasted biogas, convert it into a reliable revenue stream, and protect local taxpayers from rising energy costs without tapping into tax revenue.


The Solution
The City of Lebanon deployed a 1 MW Landfill Gas-to-Energy (LFG2E) system centered on a Capstone Energy+ C1000S microturbine and gas conditioning skid, transforming harmful landfill gas into an ongoing financial asset.
• Monetizing Waste Gas: Cleans and converts raw landfill methane into over 5,000 MWh of continuous, high-value electricity each year.
• Dual Revenue & Offset Strategy: Powers the entire solid waste facility with free, on-site energy while exporting roughly 600 kWh per hour of surplus electricity back to the regional grid for direct profit.
• Self-Sustaining Financial Model: Built using an Enterprise Fund model where REC sales and energy production credits pay off construction and operational costs—requiring zero taxpayer dollars.
• Maximizing Free Thermal Energy: Captures clean exhaust heat to provide free space heating for municipal facilities, completely eliminating secondary boiler fuel bills.


The Results
• $250,000 Annual Bottom-Line Impact: Combines direct power savings with grid sales and REC revenues to return substantial profits back to the municipality.
• Direct Tax Relief: Offsets local property taxes by generating administrative overhead and host community fees for the city’s general fund.
• Capitalizing on Biogas: Replaces routine gas flaring with clean, continuous energy production—proving that environmental stewardship and municipal profitability go hand in hand.
• 10,000-Ton Carbon Reduction: Eliminates a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, turning an environmental liability into a model of community resilience.