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Renewable Energy Projects

Cogeneration from Sludge Incineration

Since 2005, MCES has burned sludge*from wastewater operations at the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant and recovered the energy for heating buildings. When heat isn't necessary, the energy produced is up to four megawatts of electricity, which offsets purchased energy needs and costs.

Thermal Energy Recovery

As a demonstration project, MCES uses heat pumps and heat exchanges to recover thermal energy in wastewater effluent (cleaned water) to heat the administrative building at the Eagles Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cottage Grove.

Algae to Fuel

MCES and the University of Minnesota initiated a multi-year study to evaluate the economic feasibility of using algae to remove nutrients from a Metropolitan Plant recycle stream and recover energy from algae cell mass. The recovered oil can be readily converted to bio-diesel transportation fuels, and the remaining algae cell mass also has energy value.

Metropolitan Counties Energy Coalition (MEPC)

MCES is a member of the coalition which is investigating wind initiatives and whether participating in ownership of a wind power facility, remote from a wastewater facility, would be feasible and might also provide a hedge against rising energy costs.

*Sludge is the semi-solid material left behind from industrial, water treatment, or wastewater treatment process.