From Trash to Cash: How the City of Dallas benefits from garbage

The City of Dallas pursues opportunities to be innovative and has blazed a trail in doing so. An example of that is the City’s Public/Private partnership with Dallas Clean Energy McCommas Bluff, LLC (DCE). DCE owns and operates one of the largest landfill gas to pipeline quality facilities in the United States at the City’s McCommas Bluff Landfill.  The more than 20-year partnership provides a 1-2 punch in helping the City provide crucial landfill environmental compliance as well as turn trash at McCommas Bluff into cash.

“This partnership is a win-win for the City of Dallas and DCE,” says City Sanitation Services Director Kelly High, “This project not only helps the landfill maintain EPA compliance by capturing and processing the gas, it allows both parties to share in the revenues created by selling the processed gas as renewable natural gas.”

The facility pulls in over 11 million cubic feet of landfill gas from almost 500 landfill gas wells daily, that is sold into the market. For the City of Dallas’ general fund, that adds up to the tune of almost $2.5 million annually. The plant runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and employs 11 full time positions.