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The Green Knight Economic Development Corporation generates revenues to implement its mission by operating the Green Knight Energy Center in Plainfield Township,
The Green Knight Economic Development Corporation generates revenues to implement its mission by operating the Green Knight Energy Center in Plainfield Township, PA. In many ways GKEDC operates like any other business – each year GKEDC incurs substantial expenses to operate the generating plant and generates revenues by selling that energy to the regional power grid.
The difference between GKEDC and a for-profit business is that whereas a for-profit business generates profits for its owners and/or shareholders, the “profits” generated by GKEDC are re-invested in the local community through grants, scholarships, and economic and community development projects.
Here’s an overview of how it all works: homes and businesses in our communities generate tons of waste material and bundle it for pick-up. Waste Management’s fleet of trucks and laborers collects the curbside trash. Trucks haul the trash to Grand Central Sanitary Landfill in Plainfield Township for processing.
As the waste material decays, it naturally generates methane gas. A complex collection system gathers this flammable gas and safely transports it to the Energy Center.
At the plant, the methane gas is burned as fuel within the turbine-driven generators that can generate electric power, enough electricity to supply several thousand homes 24 hours a day. Learn more about Grand Central Landfill by visiting their website: www.grandcentrallandfill.com.
This electricity is sold as green, renewable power to the regional power grid, and the “profits” are used to support community activities such as scholarships, community grants, and economic development projects. Even when the landfill closes, methane gas will still be captured and burned for many years.
The GKEDC charter calls for providing help to organizations located and operating solely within the geographic boundaries of the Pen Argyl Area School District. To the degree possible, construction of the Energy Center was undertaken using local firms and labor. Prospectively, the GKEDC does everything possible to benefit local labor.
GKEDC is proud to serve the community of which it is a part. We hope to be around for many years and would welcome the opportunity to work with you to improve the quality of life in the Slate Belt.
In the summer of 1998, the Pen Argyl Area Concerned Citizens were approached by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Waste Management with a proposal for the community to develop a landfill gas-to-energy plant. Methane gas, a by-product of decomposing trash, was being flared into the atmosphere. An energy plant would be able to harness this untapped natural resource and turn it into dollars that could be reinvested in the community.
A task force of local citizens evaluated the feasibility of this proposal and, once agreed, the Green Knight Economic Development Corporation (GKEDC) was formed in March 1999. The GKEDC, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, is made up of a Board of Directors who are citizens of the boroughs of Wind Gap and Pen Argyl, and Plainfield Township. Directors are volunteers and serve without monetary compensation.
All of GKEDC’s Board members reside in the Pen Argyl School District and serve on the Board as volunteers. No board member receives any monetary compensation for service on the Board and the organization has no paid administrative staff. The current GKEDC Board of Directors includes:
John Goffredo (Vice-President) – A resident of Plainfield Township, John is the President and one of the owners of Nu Cor Management Inc., a construction management and general contracting firm based in Wind Gap, PA. John has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, having worked on projects of all sizes throughout the Slate Belt, Lehigh Valley, and Poconos.
Peter Albanese (Treasurer) – Pete is one of the principal owners of Wind Gap Electric, an electrical contracting company that works primarily on commercial, industrial and institutional projects throughout the Lehigh Valley, Monroe County, and northern New Jersey. Pete lives in Plainfield Township.
Larry Feller (Secretary) – Larry is a Formulating Chemist and retired President of Coulston Products, Inc. He is the Senior Consultant with SCI Consulting and lives in Pen Argyl. He has also been active in community groups including the Boy Scouts of America – Minsi Trail Council, the Advisory Board of the Slate Belt YMCA, and the Weona Park Board and Master Planning Committee.
Robert Cornman (President) – Robert is Plainfield Township resident who retired as a Director from Flowserve, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of pumps, valves, and seals with over 19,000 employees in over 60 countries. Robert is currently serving on Plainfield Township’s Recreation Board, Plainfield Township’s Zoning Hearing Board, and is a registered Professional Engineer.
Carlton Snyder (Member) – A resident of Wind Gap Borough, Carlton is a retired radio and electronics technician. He has previously served as the President of the GKEDC Board since the organization was founded in 1999 until early 2023. In his spare time, Carlton raced micro-sprint cars for over two decades. In addition to his work with the GKEDC, he also enjoys traveling the country.
James Policelli (Member) – Jim is a Plainfield Township resident and registered professional engineer. He specializes in energy and environmental engineering including compliance, permit applications, emission calculations, and remedial design, and serves on the Energy & Environment Committee of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. He has been a ski patroller since 1973 and is an EMT and CPR instructor.
GKEDC works in collaboration with many community partners who help GKEDC implement its mission including:
(Landfill Gas-to-Energy Plant)
US Environmental Protection Agency Landfill Methane Outreach Program Project of the Year (2000)
Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Excellence (2003)
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Economic Development Partner of the Year (2013)
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Environmental Project of the Year (2014) (Note: GKEDC received this honor as part of a consortium that included Plainfield Township, Bushkill Stream Conservancy, Coldwater Heritage, PA DEP, ELM Group, URS Corp., and Aquatic Resource Consulting)