CVPS Cow Power named “Top Plant” (Jan. 7, 2008)

RUTLAND , Vt. – CVPS Cow Power™ and its farm-producers have been named one of the top renewable energy projects in the world by an influential energy magazine.  CVPS, Berkshire Cow Power, Audet’s Cow Power, Green Mountain Dairy and Montagne Farms jointly earned the honor.

“Power Magazine” has been honoring top performers throughout the electrical industry with power plant awards for over 25 years, and named Cow Power one of five “Top Plants” worldwide in its December issue, just released. CVPS Cow Power™ joined a wind farm in the United Kingdom, Nevada Solar One, Raft River Geothermal Project in Idaho, and a wind project in New York as the five winners for renewable energy. The magazine serves readers from electric utilities, independent power and cogeneration plants, consulting engineer firms, electric generation facilities and more around the globe.

“When we first announced our plans to develop the Cow Power program, a lot of people were scratching their heads, so this is a wonderful acknowledgment of what we’re doing,” said David Dunn, CVPS’s renewable energy project manager.  “Customers, farm owners and the trade press are all recognizing the value of what we’ve created.”

In an article by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Robert Peltier, PE, “Power Magazine” lauded Cow Power.

“Regardless of the reasons customers enroll, Cow Power provides several benefits to participating farmer-generators,” the magazine said. “Chief among them is a new, steady income stream that offsets fluctuations in milk prices. Farmers also benefit by using excess heat from the engine-generator to heat water and provide space heating, thereby saving $10,000 to $15,000 annually in offset fuel purchases.

“Anaerobic digesters also solve another problem: manure management,” the magazine wrote. “Manure can be processed through a mechanical separator, and then the solids can be dried and used to replace sawdust or sand as bedding for the animals, because pathogens are killed during digestion. That use alone saves $80,000 to $150,000 annually for participating farms.”

The magazine also noted the extensive environmental benefits of Cow Power, including improved air and water quality, reduced manure odor, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

To create energy, manure and other agricultural waste are held in a sealed concrete tank at the same temperature as a cow’s stomach, 101 degrees. Bacteria digest the volatile components, creating methane and killing pathogens and weed seeds. The methane, which is roughly 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere, fuels an engine/generator.

CVPS customers can choose to receive all, half or a quarter of their electrical energy through Cow Power, and pay a premium of 4 cents per kilowatt hour.  It goes to participating farm-producers, to purchase renewable energy credits when enough farm energy isn’t available, or to the CVPS Renewable Development Fund. The fund provides grants to farm owners to develop on-farm generation. Farm-producers are also paid 95 percent of the market price for all of the energy sold to CVPS.

“Customers continue to enroll in significant numbers, with more than 4,600 accounts now part of the program,” CVPS spokesman Steve Costello said.  “That support is giving farm owners the confidence to become Cow Power farms, providing substantial benefits to Vermont and the environment at large.”

Contact: Steve Costello (802) 747-5427 For Immediate Release: Sept. 19, 2007