Summary

The Ak-Chin Indian Community will study the feasibility of siting a biopower installation on community lands. The technologies to be studied will be those that can readily handle poultry manure generated at the Ak-Chin egg farm, either alone or in combination with other biomass materials available on or near the community. The biomass will be used to generate electricity that could be used on the reservation and/or exported into the power market, as well as excess heat for use on the reservation.

Project Description

The Ak-Chin Indian Community, through the Ak-Chin Electric Utility Authority (AKEUA), will study the feasibility of siting a biopower installation on community lands. The technologies to be studied will be those that can readily handle poultry manure generated at the Ak-Chin egg farm, either alone or in combination with other locally available biomass materials. The biomass will be used to generate electricity that could be used on the reservation and/or exported into the power market, as well as excess heat for use on the reservation.

Objective

The community's objectives for the development of a biopower facility include the following:

  • Create technology-based jobs for community members.

  • Generate revenues for community government operations.

  • Diversify the community economy.

  • Provide an environmental benefit by reducing the amount of poultry litter being dumped.

  • Increase community energy self-sufficiency.

Scope

In order to achieve the goal of the study, the following tasks will be carried out:

  • Resource Availability Assessment

    The objective of this assessment is to determine the quantity, quality, and location of both layer manure and other biomass materials for use in the proposed facility.

  • Power Utilization Assessment

    The objective of this assessment is to determine the potential for AKEUA to use the power produced and/or the potential market for the power produced. In addition this objective will determine the adequacy of the existing infrastructure for delivering power to the load on the reservation and/or to those markets, and the costs and economic returns associated with each.

  • Technology Review

    The objective of this review is to identify the technical option(s) for detailed economic and technical assessments. The study will consider poultry litter and mixtures of poultry litter and other biomass feed stocks available from other nearby sources such as sewage sludge, livestock manures, and agriculture waste. The generation of electrical power and other ancillary products as outputs will be considered in the review of the available technologies. The project will consider only proven, reliable, and economic technologies.

  • System Design

    Based on the technical review, the most economic and technically viable technology will be selected for an advanced conceptual design for an installation. Vendors will be solicited for project development proposals. The best proposal will be integrated into a final detailed business plan.

  • Manpower Development Assessment

    The objectives of this assessment are to identify training needs for the selected option(s), and to determine how they can best be met.

  • Economic Assessment

    The objective of this assessment is to determine the economic viability and sustainability of the technical option(s) identified through the technical review.

  • Ak-Chin Indian Community Compatibility Assessment

    The objective of this assessment is to determine whether the renewable energy installation is compatible with the Ak-Chin's cultural, social, and economic values. The environmental impacts and benefits will also be determined.

  • Project Business Planning and Implementation Strategy

    In this final phase of the project, AKEUA and the project team will finalize negotiations will fuel-source providers, technology vendors, financing sources, and other interested parties to secure agreements that will be put into the draft of a final business plan. Upon completion, the business plan will be presented to the AKEUA Board of Directors, Authority, and the Ak-Chin Community Council for approval.

Project Location

The Ak-Chin Indian Community is a federally recognized Indian tribe, whose lands comprise about 22,000 acres thirty miles southeast of Phoenix, Arizona. The community headquarters is in Maricopa, Arizona. The reservation is located south of the town of Maricopa in Pinal County. A total of 16,000 acres of the reservation are cultivated by Ak-Chin Farms. Ak-Chin Farms and the Ak-Chin KEUA are both enterprises of the community and support the community's goal of self-sufficiency.

Project Status

This project is complete. For more, see the final report and associated tribal council resolution.

The project was competitively selected under the Tribal Energy Program's FY2003 solicitation, "Renewable Energy Development on Tribal Lands," and started April 2004. For more information, see the October 2005 presentation.

<p><strong>Tribe/Awardee</strong><br />Ak Chin Indian Community</p><p><strong>Location</strong><br />Maricopa, AZ</p><p><strong>Project Title</strong><br />Ak-Chin Biomass Feasibility Study</p><p><strong>Type of Application</strong><br />Feasibility</p><p><strong>DOE Grant Number</strong><br />DE-FC36-04GO14022</p><p><strong>Project Amounts</strong><br />DOE: $96,419<br />Awardee: $0<br />Total: $96,419</p><p><strong>Project Status</strong><br />Complete</p><p><strong>Project Period of Performance</strong><br />Start: April 2004<br />End: December 2005</p>