Fort Wayne City Utilities Green Resiliency Initiatives
City of Fort Wayne’s City Utilities started the journey towards net zero energy for our wastewater treatment plant in September of 2015. The first phase of the Combined Heat and Power system went on line generating 800 KW of power generation from two Kraft Industries modular Generator packages. This project also included a waste heat recovery hot water system used to supplement heating to the anaerobic digestion process. The wastewater plant in Fort Wayne was not new at this concept. In the 1970’s, engine driven generators and pumps fueled with methane gas were in place during the energy crisis. Due to low energy costs, high maintenance cost of the equipment and absence of methane gas conditioning equipment, it became cost prohibitive to operate.
As electric costs continued to increase and significant improvements in generator efficiency, the economics for CHP projects has become more feasible for wastewater treatment with anaerobic digestion. With the experience of the City Utilities staff in utility power sector along with the operational staff, we collaboratively developed the first phase of the CHP project and future program requirements to attain net zero. Like any project hindsight is 20/20 with several lessons learned. It’s these lessons that will allow for a successful development of a long term and sustainable program to meet the needs of the community.
Speaker Bio
Doug Fasick is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Fort Wayne and Fort Wayne City Utilities. He began his career at City of Fort Wayne’s City Utilities Division as a Program Manager of Facilities where he was responsible for capital improvement projects for the water and wastewater treatment facilities. His responsibilities increased as a Sr. Program Manager of Energy Engineering and Sustainability Services overseeing all City Utilities’ Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Resource Recovery initiatives. During this time, he was responsible for the installation of the 800 kW Combined Heat and Power project at the wastewater treatment facility where they have reduced their dependency on the electric utility by 30%. He was recently appointed to the Mayor's Office as the Chief Sustainability Office overseeing the City's energy efficiency and sustainability initiative, including the planning and deployment of the City's Climate Action & Adaptation Plan. Doug graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Electrical Engineering.
