Dairyland Power Cooperative has been producing power in Genoa, Wis., since the cooperative was formed in 1941.

For more than 65 years, our cooperative leaders have ensured the greater good by supplying electricity in a reliable, environmentally sound and cost-effective manner. With determination and foresight, cooperative pioneers brought power to people who were clamoring for the labor-saving benefits that electricity would finally bring them.
Today, thanks to Dairyland, almost 600,000 rural farmers and residents in a four-state area have electricity. And today, Dairyland faces a different set of difficult challenges including higher demand for electricity, environmental issues, advancements in technology, and efforts to increase our use of renewable energy. Despite the changes in issues, one constant holds true: Whether we build a transmission line, substation, power plant or a landfill, there may always be individuals who would prefer the project be built in another area.

Today, we must still consider the common good and continue to look at the “big picture” as we invest in the future. These investments include recent environmental improvements at our existing power plants and a variety of new renewable energy resources such as wind power, manure digesters and landfill gas.

Environmental projects at our existing power plants mean the air will be cleaner for everyone in our region. In fact, installation of a fabric filter “baghouse” was completed this summer at the Genoa plant (and just recently at Dairyland’s largest power plant in Alma). Already, results at Genoa are showing reductions in particulate matter, which is excellent news for Vernon County’s air quality.

The next phase of environmental improvement includes the addition of a “scrubber,” which will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by upwards of 90 percent. That’s also good news. This new process requires the addition of lime to remove the sulfur, which changes the fly ash composition, making most of it unsuitable for our current highly successful recycling options.

Dairyland has been recycling over 80 percent of the fly ash from the Genoa plant and will continue to pursue opportunities to recycle as much as possible. Given that the national average for recycling of fly ash is 30 percent, Dairyland’s commitment to recycling is clear.

We are currently evaluating a number of potential recycling options for the future and supporting recycling research, but the reality is that once the scrubber is installed, we will likely only be able to recycle a fraction of the material. Therefore, Dairyland is taking the initial steps to site and permit a disposal facility for this coal combustion product in Vernon County.

We are very early in what will be a multiyear, state-regulated siting and permitting process outlined by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which is the permitting agency for this type of facility.

DNR regulations for siting, design and operation of landfills are designed specifically to protect the environment. In this phase of the process, we are listening to public and landowner comments, and continuing to aggressively evaluate alternatives. However, since siting and permitting a landfill takes several years, it is important that we also move forward with the necessary testing required to more fully evaluate the identified sites.

We understand the concerns of our neighbors regarding the possibility of a disposal facility being constructed near their homes. As I’ve been quoted as saying many times before, Vernon County — my home county — certainly is a beautiful area.

Dairyland will continue our tradition of working closely with the community to minimize impacts of our energy production and strive to be good neighbors.

Brian Rude is director, external relations, for Dairyland Power Cooperative. For more information, visit www.dairynet.com. Comments about the landfill project can be sent to genoaoffsite@dairynet.com.

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