Dane County manure digester project lands development team

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By Paul Snyder

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Dane County announced Monday that Milwaukee-based Clear Horizons LLC and its partner, SCC Americas, will enter into negotiations to develop a Waunakee-area manure digester.

A press release from the county said the final decision to begin construction is still months away, but the Clear Horizons’ approval sets the state’s first community digester project in motion.

If given final approval, the project would be built and operated by Clear Horizons and SCC. The two firms will also work with Dane County and three Waunakee-area farms to develop a proposed design and schedule for project construction, and identify the best site and layout for the project.

The Dane County Cow-Power Project will be built with private and public money. The state already awarded $3.3 million to remove phosphorus as a result of Gov. Jim Doyle’s request and the Legislature’s approval of $6.6 million for two community manure digesters in Dane County.

SCC will also provide private financing for the Waunakee project, but the county did not disclose a monetary number on the financing.