Among the first renewable energy resources adopted by AMP and its member communities was the use of landfill sites in Ohio to provide a steady source of base load generation.

AMP began contracting to receive electricity generated by landfill gas-to-energy sites in 2001. Three sites in northern Ohio have a combined capacity of approximately 27 megawatts of generation. These sites are located in Lorain County, Ottawa County and Mahoning County. A fourth northern Ohio site, with approximately 2.5 MW of capacity, is under development and could become available in late 2009.

These sites are fueled by landfill gas, produced by decomposing garbage and collected by a series of pipes throughout the landfill for use in diesel generator units. Landfill gas is a mixture of gases, with the largest component being methane. Solid waste landfills are the second largest human-generated source of methane emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Landfill gas-to-energy sites directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, because methane is a key contributor to climate change (more than 21 times stronger than carbon dioxide).

The EPA says these sites also indirectly reduce air pollution by offsetting the use of non-renewable resources, such as oil and natural gas. The agency further notes that the overall environmental improvement from landfill gas electricity generation projects is significant because of the large methane reductions, hazardous air pollutant reductions, and avoidance of the use of limited non-renewable resources that are more polluting than landfill gas.