Kootenai Electric Cooperative's Fighting Creek Landfill Gas-to-Energy project is now up and running.

It's been nearly three years in development and on Wednesday, May 30, KEC and its partner, Kootenai County Solid Waste, will hold an open house at the facility so the public can take tours.

The tours will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the facility site at 22089 S. Highway 95, 16 miles south of Coeur d'Alene.

This generation resource will produce enough electricity to power about 1,800 homes from the methane gas produced by the decomposition of trash at the Kootenai County Solid Waste Facility.

The project was developed through a partnership with Kootenai County whereby KEC will pay for the methane gas (which was previously emitted into the air after being burned) that is used by the generators. The $4-5 million in gas revenue generated over the next 20 years and the sale of the renewable energy credits will help keep solid waste fees stable.

It also provides KEC's members with a low cost and stable source of power for the next 20 years. The facility, which cost just under $7 million to build, was financed by the issuance of low interest Clean Renewable Energy Bonds.

Visit www.kec.com or call us at 765-1200 for more information.