Again, there has been another bewailing of the “dangers of climate change” that is devoid of any analytical analysis of our own carbon footprint and what might be done to mitigate it (at least here).

Per a test by the Christian Science Monitor, one gallon of gasoline in an internal combustion engine will produce 18 pounds of carbon dioxide. Apart from driving kids to school and ignoring the school buses, City of Bainbridge Island produces how much CO2 hauling three 25-ton truck loads of residue a month from the municipal wastewater treatment plant down to Tacoma at a cost of about $1,500 a load? That residue in a fuel cell/biodigester located at the Don Palmer transfer site could produce clean, green power at a far lower cost. (Note: a fuel cell is not cheap, but there is something called a power purchase agreement that PSE might consider.)

Further, Bainbridge Disposal sends two 22-ton septage pumpers around the island three times a week, then down to the Central Kitsap Treatment Plank (near Keyport) at a cost of $420 a load. There are other pumpers servicing the island. That material in a fuel cell/ biodigester could also produce clean power. Further, a memorandum of understanding between City of Bainbridge Island and Bainbridge Disposal would result in a free supply of fuel for the power plant with perhaps a modest decanting fee — $50-$75 load charged to each pumper using the facility.

In addition, there are other sources of biomass that can be used in such a facility. It is possible that City of Bainbridge Island could actually have a positive cash flow from a true municipal power plant that could augment PSE’s power by as much as 5.6 megawatts depending on type and size of the fuel cells.

I suggest actual analysis (assisted by Google) would be far more productive regarding actual mitigation of our own carbon footprint.

Roth Hafer

Bainbridge Island