Manatee County and a South Florida-based energy company are moving ahead with plans to build a plant adjacent to the Lena Road Landfill to capture waste gas from the facility and convert it into natural gas.
Nopetro Energy of Miami said in a news release it plans to build a $50 million site, beginning in 2026 with production beginning in 2027.
Manatee County officials as recently as 2023 have discussed the possibility of teaming up with an energy company to harness the methane gas that is normally produced by landfill operations. That gas is typically burned off as a byproduct…