Landfill Energy Systems worked with the City of Ann Arbor and The Detroit Edison Company to develop a small landfill gas utilization project for the City.  The City’s Landfill is a one hundred and thirty-two acre site located within the City limits.   The landfill stopped accepting trash in 1992 and the final cover was finished in 1993. 

The landfill gas collection system recovers approximately 1.0 million cubic feet of gas per day and consists of nearly 50 gas wells and a blower / flare station. 

At the request of the City of Ann Arbor and Detroit Edison, Landfill Energy Systems installed two Caterpillar power modules.  These modules include all necessary equipment to each generate 800 kW of electricity within the metal enclosure.  

The power module design was selected based on the quantity of landfill gas available at the time of construction and the anticipation of a drop off in future gas production.   The use of modules will allow Landfill Energy Systems to move the “power plant” to another location when there are no longer sufficient quantities of landfill gas available. 


The 1.6 MW facility began commercial operation in September 1996.  Landfill Energy Systems owns and operates the power modules and sells the electricity to the Detroit Edison Company.