Ride On buses will soon be powered by what you flush away in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The county and WSSC Water have reached a five-year agreement aimed at capturing methane gas during the wastewater treatment process and turning it into fuel called “Renewable Natural Gas” that will then be used to power the county’s Ride On bus fleet.
The deal to turn poop into power at the under-construction Piscataway Water Resource Recovery Facility in Accokeek, Maryland, was agreed to as WSSC Water commissioners met Wednesday for their monthly meeting. The deal for the Piscataway Bioenergy Project is expected to generate an estimated $700,000 per year in revenue for WSSC Water while reducing the utility’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a news release.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich called the agreement with WSSC Water a “win-win-win for our constituents, commuters and, most importantly, our environment.”
“Increasing the efficiency and reliability of our Ride-On bus system is critical toward the County’s goal of a 100% carbon emission reduction by 2035. This agreement, along with our new electric buses and microgrids are important improvements within our fleet of Ride-On vehicles,” Elrich said in a statement.
The $271 million Piscataway Bioenergy Facility, which is expected to be completed by November 2024, aims to modernize how WSSC Water handles biosolids — the organic material produced from wastewater treatment.
WSSC Water said the new facility will receive the biosolids from its five other plants, in its push to reduce the volume of biosolids and generate cleaner Class-A biosolids.
As part of the process, methane gas will be captured and upgraded on-site to produce Renewable Natural Gas.
The utility said it now produces about 8,000 tons of biosolids each month.
“Reclaiming valuable natural resources from the wastewater treatment process not only benefits our environment but also makes fiscal sense,” said WSSC Water Commission Vice Chair T. Eloise Foster. She said the deal will generate revenue for WSSC Water, create green jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
WSSC Water said it has received a license from the Maryland Public Service Commission allowing it to sell natural gas in Washington Gas and Baltimore Gas and Electric territories.
In addition to Montgomery County’s Ride On bus fleet, WSSC Water said it hopes to also power some county facilities with the natural gas it will begin selling. The utility said it also estimates generating an additional $3.2 million per year from the sale of renewable energy credits.
WSSC Water General Manager and CEO Kishia L. Powell said utilities such as hers are pursuing ways to cut costs and diversify revenue in an effort to take the pressure off customer rates.
