HAMPDEN (AP) – Gov. John Baldacci says the Pine Tree Landfill, Maine’s first gas-to-energy facility, probably won’t be the last project of its kind in Maine.

The governor visited Casella Waste Systems’ Hampden site on Tuesday. It’s been generating power for six months.

Baldacci says that turning the gases produced from the decomposition of solid waste into energy is an important step toward Maine’s energy independence goals.

Trash that’s been deposited in the landfill generates methane gas, which is collected through a network of pipes under the landfill. The gas is converted into electricity.

AP-ES-09-30-08 1600EDT

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