THE GREEN AWARDS
Congratulations to Utilities Project Development who received the grand prize of $25,000 at Green Giant’s “The Green Awards” Celebration on May 13, 2011!
Project Development entered the City’s Fuel from Aquatic Biomass (FAB) Project, which uses aquatic vegetation to treat wastewater and produce energy from the harvested vegetation and local organic waste, into “The Green Awards” Green Civic Leader category. The submission included a short essay and video describing the project. The video featuring student intern Caden Hare was posted on www.thegreenwards.com along with over 100 other submissions.
In April, Project Development was notified that they were one of twelve finalists determined by public online voting. Each finalist won an all expense trip paid for two to Los Angeles to attend “The Green Awards” Celebration announcing four grand prize winners of $25,000 to put towards their projects. Nicole Dorotinsky, FAB Project Manager, and Caden Hare attended the award ceremony on May 13th at the Vibiana, a historic monument, in Downtown Los Angeles where they accepted a $25,000 grand prize for their contribution to civic environmental leadership.
What fun would LA be without celebrities? The Award was handed out by Ed Begley, Jr., star of “Living with Ed” and emceed by Carter Oosterhouse, model and star of HGTV and Actress Amy Smart. The celebration also included “green” celebrities, entertainers, and a performance by grammy-winning songwriter and producer, Dan Wilson.
For more information on “The Green Awards” and participants visit www.thegreenawards.com
ABOUT THE FAB PROJECT
The City of Santa Rosa's Laguna Treatment Plant, in collaboration with Sonoma State University, has constructed channels to demonstrate the water-purifying capacity of 
aquatic vegetation in wastewater, produce renewable energy, and potentially produce methane that can be used for power. Thanks to grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Clean Energy Commission (CEC), the City has begun building Phase II of this project. Two anaerobic digesters will be built in order to transform harvested biomass into methane-rich biogas. The methane will be captured from the digesters and used for on-site power at the plant.
The City's fuel from aquatic biomass (FAB) technology could provide other municipalities with a renewable energy source that increases water quality, improves air quality by capturing greenhouse gases, and provides a healthier environment for residents.
