Biogas Project Voted Down

10/10/2012 (Updated 6:44:25 PM)

A plan to turn waste into energy at the Binghamton/Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant has been shelved.

Binghamton City Council and the JC Board of Trustees failed to put aside the quarter of a million dollars needed to begin a program to convert the biogas in wastewater into energy.

Sewage officials want to move forward with the project but aren't sure when the funds will be available again.

"Not only is it bad for the environment that we burn the methane off, that has an impact. We're also using electricity that was also created through coal. We would reduce our electrical consumption from coal burning plants and use the methane created here," said Catherine Aingworth the Superintendent of the Joint Sewage Board.

Officials estimate that the biogas energy project would reduce electrical consumption by thirty percent.