The landfill receives no electricity from the local power grid and has hitherto relied on generators to operate the equipment required at the facility. County records show that connecting a landfill to the UniSource Electric service would cost far more up front than a rental generator or new generator, but within the first decade, the total cost of these services would exceed that of a new generator. Continue generator or rental.

According to county officials, a certain amount of electricity is required to run the landfill’s gas system. The system was installed in 2020 by him under orders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the potential for methane emissions at such facilities across the country. Under EPA regulations, the system is expected to operate 24 hours a day, year-round to ensure landfill air quality.

The county purchased a CAT XQ100 generator to power the landfill’s gas system. However, county records show that the generator suffered a catastrophic failure after he was in use for 17 months. The county then rented his second generator to use in the landfill, which he also began to fail in May 2022. His third generator was substituted instead, and the county paid a monthly rental fee. The county also pays for maintenance and troubleshooting of its generators.

But over the next 10 years, continuing to rent generators at the facility will cost county taxpayers $1.03 million, according to county records. A new generator for the landfill costs $957,438. But officials estimate that the cost of connecting to three-phase AC through UniSource Electrical Services will cost the county $803,863 over the next 10 years.

The Mojave County Board of Supervisors approved an initial $622,000 initial cost of District 5 ARPA funding to provide permanent electrical service to the Mojave Valley Landfill at the board’s next regular meeting Monday in Kingman. I plan to vote on whether to do so.