What about carbon emissions? What is the impact of using supplemental waste on carbon emissions?
The EPA recognizes that renewable energy facilities, like Renewable Energy Facility 2, are net greenhouse gas reducers, and accomplish this in several ways:
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They divert waste from landfills that generate methane, which is 21 times more potent of a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
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The energy produced by these facilities saves the fossil fuels that would otherwise be consumed to generate an equivalent amount of energy from a conventional power plant.
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Today large quantities of waste generated in the South Florida region are being transported long distances in trucks to disposal sites as far north as Orlando. Many of these trucks are already driving through Palm Beach County.
In short, greenhouse gas emissions in the region will not likely increase and will most likely be reduced if we use supplemental waste until the Renewable Energy Facility 2 is processing 100% of waste generated by Palm Beach County residents and businesses.
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