GLRA board approves 10-year agreement for purchase of landfill methane

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

The board of the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority recently approved a new 10-year agreement with NextEra Energy LLC for the purchase of landfill methane and lease of the authority’s methane-to-energy facility.

The agreement, the third consecutive 10-year deal, includes a 37% increase in the price of each MMBTU, a measurement of natural gas, that GLRA delivers to the facility. That price was not disclosed for competitive reasons.

One of the byproducts of the decomposition of solid waste is a mixture of gases known as “landfill gas.” About 50% of landfill gas is methane, which is used to generate electricity. GLRA has estimated that it captures enough methane to supply electricity to as many as 2,000 homes each day.

The new agreement with NextEra includes a 50% revenue-sharing clause. If the electric value increases above the established value, then GLRA will share in that profit. If the value drops below the established value, GLRA will share in that loss, the authority said.

It also includes a monthly rental of $998 for the methane-to-energy building, the same amount as in the previous contract, said GLRA executive director Skip Garner. While GLRA owns the building, NextEra owns the equipment inside the building.

GLRA currently has 25 vertical and 61 horizontal wells capturing methane gas, and 13 more vertical wells will be installed this year at the Schilling Landfill at a cost of $390,000.

How much methane is produced depends upon the age of the waste.

“As waste gets older, it produces less and less gas,” GLRA engineering manager Jim Zendek said in an email. “Generally, viable gas production ceases after two to three decades.”

In his board report, Garner noted that GLRA received 133,907 tons of waste in 2025. This amount was 1,657 tons above what was received in 2024. He also said revenues from operations in December were 8% over budget. Expenses were below budget by 5.2% for the month.

Garner also at the meeting announced GLRA’s 2025 Employee of the Year, awarded at GLRA’s annual holiday luncheon in December. Ken Baum, equipment operator, was recognized “for his willingness to help others and positive attitude,” Garner said. Individuals are selected for that award from employee nominations, he added.

Also recognized were:

• Emilie Sandoval, James Hess, Michelle Miller and Ken Baum, who received five-year longevity awards.
• Tina Long, a 10-year longevity award.
• Steve Bashore and Kevin Yiengst, 25-year longevity awards.
• And Amy Mazzella di Bosco, a 30-year longevity award.

GLRA recycling coordinator Mazzella di Bosco reported that GLRA’s electronic recycling facility collected 204.50 tons, including 6,791.5 pounds of batteries, in 2025.

The authority’s annual Christmas tree recycling program will run to Feb. 21. Trees need to be decoration free.

The board of the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority meets at 1800 Russell Road. The next meeting will be 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 3. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.