Vanguard also wins 2019 Longevity Award for the company’s Jordan Dairy Farm Digester Project in Rutland, Massachusetts
Salisbury, Vt – Vanguard Renewables and Vermont Gas (VGS) received the 2019 American Biogas Council Up-and-Coming Biogas Project award for the Goodrich Farm Anaerobic Digester project in Salisbury, Vermont at the organization’s awards ceremony on October 29. The project is a unique partnership between Vanguard Renewables, VGS, Middlebury College and the Goodrich Family. It will generate biogas from manure and food waste and convert it to pipeline quality gas for use by Middlebury College and VGS’s customers. This project is the first to sell renewable gas to end customers and is bringing diversity to the industry by developing markets for RNG.
“Even though this project just began construction, it is already groundbreaking in many ways. Incredible things can be done when a university, utility and industry come together with a common commitment to protect our environment with a biogas system that recycles organic material and produces renewable energy,” said Patrick Serfass, American Biogas Council Executive Director. “We want to celebrate this cooperation and vision and hope others will replicate it.”
Construction on the Farm Powered anaerobic digester will be completed in 2020. RNG produced there will travel by pipeline to Middlebury College’s main power plant and will supply about half of the energy that Middlebury uses for heating and cooling. Wellesley, Mass.-based Vanguard Renewables will build, own, and operate the digester, which will process 100 tons of manure and 180 tons of organic food waste daily into RNG.
“We are so honored to work with farms across the United States from the early days of biogas production, through the industry’s rapid growth, to this exemplary partnership with VGS,” said John Hanselman, Vanguard Renewables Chairman and CEO. “It’s amazing to be recognized for our latest project at Goodrich Family Farm in Salisbury, Vermont and to receive the 2019 Longevity Award for our legacy digester facility at Jordan Dairy Farms in Rutland, Massachusetts on the same night.”
“VGS is the first local distribution company in the country to offer customers retail renewable natural gas service. The digester in Salisbury will bring a local source of RNG to our customers and a host of environmental benefits to the communities we serve and to our State,” said Don Rendall, President and CEO of VGS. “Our commitment to reduce carbon and cost through our award-winning efficiency services, innovative programs, such as the Salisbury digester is unwavering. This is the next logical step in our work toward a cleaner energy future and meeting our state’s ambitious carbon reduction goals and we are proud to be a part of it.”
The Goodrich Farm digester is expected to produce 180,000 Mcf per year.
Vanguard also received the 2019 Longevity Award for its Farm Powered® anaerobic digester facility at Jordan Dairy Farms in Rutland, Mass. This award recognizes a project in operation for 5 years or longer. Jordan Dairy Farms was the first dairy in Massachusetts to use anaerobic digester technology to blend farm manure and food waste to produce renewable power. The digester system has been in operation since 2011.
Located on more than 2,400 acres, the Goodrich Family Farm is a generational dairy farm with 900 milking cows. It is a member of the Agri-Mark Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
“Our family is excited to see this project transition from a dream into a reality,” said Chase Goodrich, who is among the fourth generation of his family to operate their farm. “We want to express our thanks to our wonderful partners,” said Goodrich, “as well as countless others who helped us accomplish this goal.”
About VGS
VGS is a leader in energy efficiency and innovation, offering a clean, safe, affordable choice for over 54,000 homes, businesses, and institutions in Franklin, Chittenden and Addison counties. The company plays an important role in Vermont’s clean energy future by displacing higher-emitting fuels, offering renewable natural gas service, and delivering award-winning energy efficiency programs. VGS is leading the country in the development of local renewable energy generation and has targeted a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and becoming Net Zero by 2050. For more information about Vermont Gas visit www.vgsvt.com
Media Contact
Dylan Giambatista
(802) 391-6475
dgiambatista@vermontgas.com
About Vanguard Renewables
Vanguard Renewables develops, constructs, owns, and operates farm-based clean energy systems that recycle food waste and farm waste to produce safe and reliable Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) or Renewable Electricity (RE). Vanguard’s Farm Powered portfolio of anaerobic digesters represent the largest organics recycling destination in the Northeast, processing nearly 200,000 tons per year of combined on-farm and off-farm organics. The company has single stream and co-digestion facilities in development across the US.
Media Contact
Jennifer Forbes, Marketing and Media Relations
PH: (617) 275-8257/ (330) 842-0551
jforbes@vanguardrenewables.com