In Search of the Human Spirit

In this day and age where energy demand is high and so are prices, businesses and government agencies are looking for renewable energy sources. In California, the city of Millbrae and Chevron Oil Company are teaming up to convert kitchen grease into electricity. The kitchen grease will be used to fuel a sewage plant.

The facility has been upgraded to support the new energy source. They’ll collect cooking grease from local restaurants. The plant as a special system set up that can process the grease and turn it into natural gas. The plant will generate it’s own power so as not to be dependent on the electricity grid. They will also sell back to the power grid creating a stream of revenue. The new system will cut carbon dioxide pollution as well.

The savings are hoped to be around $250,000 a year. As more people look to alternative energy sources, they may follow Millbrae’s lead.

[Photograph credit: Päivi Rytivaara, www.sxc.hu]