Above: Blacksmith William Rogers working at his methane-fired forge.

The Jackson County Green Energy Park is doing more than capturing methane to prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere or groundwater. It's harnessing methane to create new businesses and educate the public about renewable energy and energy conservation.

The Park captures the methane gas from the old Dillsboro landfill and pipes it into a collection system. Then the gas can be used to heat the county's greenhouses and power the studios of resident artisans, including what is believed to be the first methane-powered blacksmith forge in the country.

The greenhouses are used by the County's grounds department to grow their own plants for landscaping county buildings - a major cost savings.
  

An additional use of the methane is to power a Smoky Mountain Biofuels boiler that turns vegetable oil into bio-diesel fuel. Besides being available to the general public at select stations; Jackson County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Cherokee use the fuel for municipal vehicles.

The Park has already garnered several major awards including EPA Land Methane Project of the Year, and the NC Energy Office Sustainable Energy Award.

For more information or to arrange a tour, contact: Timm Muth, Director. 828-631-0271. Email 

Visit the Green Energy Park's website at JCGEP.org