WOOSTER -- Council discussed at length Monday a potential agreement with quasar energy group relating to energy services.
At issue is a proposal by Wooster Renewable Energy, a quasar subsidiary, to provide upgrades to the city's water pollution control plant, in return for which the city would pay the energy group to handle solid waste from the plant and would purchase electric power generated via the upgrades.
The portions of the plant that would be upgraded as part of the proposal are portions that were not improved during the previous plant upgrade, for financial reasons, utilities manager Jim Borton told council Monday. However, the potential upgrades would provide "much improved technology" over the current system.
"(They would) site their equipment on our property. They would own that equipment. In return, that we would provide them sewage sludge, which is a normal part of our process, and buy back energy from them at a predetermined rate," Borton said.
Monday's resolution, approved by council, allows the company to move forward with a grant application that would fund the upgrades. However, the city has the option to bow out if the agreement turns out not to be financially advantageous, based on the outcome of a feasibility study.
"If we can't save money on the sludge hauling, there's no point in going forward. If we can't save money on power, there's no point in going forward," Borton said.
But the setup is expected to be advantageous to the city in terms of capital expenses, he said. Some of the components on the current setup have just a few years remaining but the cost of replacement is in the neighborhood of $3 million.
quasar focuses on providing energy generation via renewable resources. Sewage sludge often goes to lagoons or to farm and landscaping uses, but it also can be turned into electricity, heat or even compressed natural gas, which can be used to power vehicles.
"Everywhere they use heat, electric or motor vehicles, it applies," quasar President Mel Kurtz said via phone.
He expects the process to move fairly quickly because "we do these a lot." A similar agreement is in place with the City of Akron and making an offer to the City of Wooster simply is the next right thing to do, he said.
Wastewater treatment plants tend to be ideal for the company's work, because they provide sludge in consistent quantities and of a consistent type, Kurtz said. Also, the necessary infrastructure usually is in place and can be adapted more easily than creating all new infrastructure.
Council meets the first and third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at city hall.
Reporter Rachel Jackson can be reached at 330-287-1632 or e-mail rjackson@the-daily-record.com
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