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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint population loss leaves Swedish Biogas project at a standstill
Jeff Metts, CEO of Astraeus Wind Energy, Inc., Lennart Johansson, director of Swedish Biogas, LLC, and consulate general of Sweden, Peter Milojevic, president and CEO of Midland Cogeneration Venture greet the audience during a roundtable discussion regarding clean energy led by the The Pew Clean Energy Program on Wednesday morning, Oct. 16, 2013 at Kettering University. Zack Wittman | MLive.com
Zack Wittman
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Sarah Schuch | sschuch@mlive.com By Sarah Schuch | sschuch@mlive.com
on October 16, 2013 at 5:00 PM, updated October 16, 2013 at 5:12 PM
FLINT, MI – The director of a company that produces clean, odorless fuel from human waste in Flint says the decline of the city's population is slowing the company's growth.
It was predicted that the biomethane gas produced by the company would fuel buses and other transportation here. However, the amount produced is just enough to offset the company's own cost for natural gas.
"We clean 100 percent of the sewage of the city of Flint today," said Lennart Johansson, Swedish Biogas director and consulate general of Sweden. "The problem with the city of Flint is the population has declined. In order to take the next step ... you need to make arrangements to bring in more waste."
In 2009, the Flint City Council approved an operating and development agreement with Swedish Biogas International, located in Sweden.
But the limited amount of waste due to decreased population in the city has put the company in a position to look for new options.
To get more waste to produce more biogas, Johansson said the company would have to bring in more waster from neighboring communities.
Biogas is a sign of potential of technology to produce clean, renewable energy, which was the topic of a roundtable discussion at Kettering University Wednesday.
Johansson was one of three panelists for the discussion, which was hosted by Pew Clean Energy Program.
The discussion was moderated by Phyllis Cuttino, director of clean energy for The Pew Charitable Trusts. Jeff Metts, CEO of Astraeus Wind Energy, Inc. and Peter Milojevic, president and CEO of Midland Cogeneration Venture, were also on the panel.
The forum, which had an audience of roughly 50 Kettering students, faculty and staff and community members, facilitated a discussion on what needs to be done to promote more renewable energy in the state and how it would affect the economy.
"This type of conversation is very important to increase the awareness of the benefits of clean energy," Johansson said after the roundtable discussion. "We have a tremendous new market. It is very good that the Pew organization is taking this initiative."
The Pew Clean Energy Program is working to accelerate the clean energy economy for its national security, economic and environmental benefits. The program promotes the adoption of key changes to U.S. energy policy in four sectors: industry, utilities, transportation and research.
Cuttino said she has been visiting places in Michigan because there's a lot going on and room to grow.
"Michigan is really at the heart of innovation," she said.
The research Kettering is doing for renewable energy and clean energy was also recognized.
Johansson, also a professor of research at Kettering, took over Swedish Biogas in the fall of 2012. The company originally came to Flint to prove that clean energy could help improve a community that has seen decline.
"If this can work in the city of Flint, it can work in any other city in North America," Johansson said. "It's working in the city of Flint but it's working at half capacity."
The original plan was to produce biomethane gas that could help power MTA busses and other things. Currently the operations are not big enough to make that happen.
The next step is work on expanding operations, which includes finding more investors, pulling in waste from neighboring communities and then producing more biomethane gas.
It's still a work in progress, but Johansson said he is hopeful the future will produce more benefits for the city. With more discussion on clean energy and policy changes, more positive steps toward sustainable energy could happen, he said.
Johansson referred to Sweden and its policies often during the roundtable, saying that we could move in the same direction but it takes incentives and regulations from the government. The other panelists were in agreement.
The discussion on how to produce renewable energy and how to reduce energy consumption should be a more common one, said Timo Seitzinger, a German exchange student at Kettering.
"This country isn't thinking about the future," said Seitzinger, 28.
To have renewable and clean energy would help countries be independent of others. The roundtable was a step in the right direction, said Christoph Rindfleisch, a German exchange student at Kettering.
"It's a part of the economy you can change anywhere," he said.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:16 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:02 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Flint administration predicted a 20,000 person loss in population by the next census in 2020. The implementation of some of their policies make me wonder if this loss was planned and provoked. Personally I believe the loss will far exceed the predicted 20,000. Is this how gentrification works?
Adding extremely high water bills, special assessments and more millages on those with low and/or fixed income is no way to keep residents. Not being able to deal with gangs, drugs and the ever present crime is another way to drive people away.
And yet I look at the projected Flint budgets and they make no sense to me. They are predicting another $19 million and more deficit by 2018. |
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Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:15 pm |
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Crowfeeder
F L I N T O I D
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| Very strange,everyone knows Flint is full of sh*t and city hall has plenty of gas.What news re the state allowing another tax on homes directed specifically toward paying for police and fire ? This would be a set amount per home not based on value..Sounds like gentrification to me,not that it would be a bad thing... |
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Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:03 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Go to the official City of Flint website and there is a section for the budget. Water and sewer makes up 49% of the City revenue. Property taxes will decline because there will be another significant loss of property values and will continue to fall through 2015. Property Values are not projected to show growth until 2018. Income tax revenue is not expected to increase and they once again raise the issue of an income tax increase.
There is a projected increase in the water and sewer funds. Infrastructure needs show an unmet capital needs of $286 million. Legacy costs (pensions) and compensation will increase at 5% per year. A number of grants are shown to disappear and new grants are not projected. (no grant writers?) By 2018 there is a projected $19.28 million deficit on top of the already $19.1 million deficit.
There is a Parks Disposal Plan so I imagine there may be revenue generated there. Also, those dead trees in the Right of Way will become the responsibility of the property owners. |
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Thu Oct 17, 2013 1:53 am |
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