MEDIA RELEASE
Contacts:
Jay Kesting
(208)
947-4519
jaykesting@newenergyone.com
Chad Biggs
(208)
921-8270 (mobile)
Idaho Dairy’s
Renewable Energy Project Offers Sustainability Road Map for Dairy Industry
Multiple Site Anaerobic
Digester Project Illustrates Benefits to Environment, Operations
Filer,
ID –
One of Idaho’s largest dairies is proactively integrating a renewable energy
infrastructure into its business operations that can be used as a sustainability
blueprint for the dairy industry.
Owned and operated by
Bettencourt Dairies, LLC, Rock Creek Dairy plans to integrate an anaerobic
digester into its business to drive improvements that will convert manure into
renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gasses and provide a number of efficiencies
that will benefit both the dairy and the local environment.
While
anaerobic digesters are already converting manure to renewable energy on dairies
across the nation, the Rock Creek Dairy project plans to connect multiple sites,
in a community dairy model, to a centralized location. Integrating anaerobic
digesters can tremendously improve efficiencies throughout dairy operations at
multiple touch points, from using heat generated from the conversion process to
repurposing land previously dedicated to storing compost.
"Converting
waste into energy minimizes our environmental impact and provides a consistent
source of renewable energy that can be distributed to our surrounding
communities," said Bettencourt Chief Financial Officer Rick Onaindia.
"The true value of this project is its ability to serve as a model for the
Idaho dairy industry for long-term sustainability, both from an environmental
and business perspective. The success of this project could provide the template
for a community of dairies to partner on a similar project that benefits
everyone involved.”
New
Energy One, LLC is leading efforts to build, maintain and manage the digester on
the Rock Creek Dairy site and is working toward final approval of the plan with
the Twin Falls County Planning and Zoning commission in the coming months. The
project has previously received PUC approval and New Energy One, LLC is working
with Idaho Power to eventually deliver enough power to provide electricity to
1,000 homes.
“As
a local company we believe that a viable, sustainable, globally competitive
dairy industry brings tremendous benefits to our community” noted Jay Kesting,
manager, New Energy One. “This project will employ both new and existing
technologies to reduce the dairy's carbon footprint while creating operational
efficiencies that enhance its competiveness.”
About New Energy
One, LLC
New
Energy One, LLC was created with the goal of increasing the sustainability of
the dairy industry through the construction and integration of anaerobic
digesters into dairy operations. The
limited liability corporation was created solely to manage the Rock Creek Dairy
project.