Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (pictured below, second from right) got help from Maureen Matsen, Virginia's deputy secretary of natural resources, as he cut the ribbon Nov. 3 to celebrate the dedication of Republic Services’ new landfill-gas-to-energy facility at the Old Dominion Sanitary Landfill on Charles City Road.

Joining Bolling and Matsen for the ceremony were (left to right) Tim Loveland and Bill Held of Republic Services, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) President and CEO Jack Reasor, and Fortistar President Mark Comora. Following the ribbon-cutting, guests were led on a tour of the facility that included a peek at the control room (above, with Benny Benson of engineering) and the four generators that will provide electricity.

The 6.4-megawatt renewable energy facility, a joint project of Republic Services, Fortistar and ODEC, uses methane from the landfill to power generators that will meet the energy needs of an estimated 4,500 area residences.