But Barse lost re-election in May. The new mayor, Robert Romano, appointed Isabella, who was head of generation, to deliver on Romano's campaign promise to keep city control of the utility. In July, Isabella began discussion of buying a new generator that, he argued, would save the city money by allowing more energy to be produced in-house, rather than purchased in the volatile energy market.

It also would allow the coal unit to be retired and upgraded, Isabella said.

Voters approved the $60 million purchase of the new unit through a November ballot referendum. Scheduled to begin production in 2012, the 50-megawatt unit will burn natural gas or fuel oil.

As far as Isabella can see, that planned purchase means the utility's use of coal is virtually finished.

"We have roughly 13,000 tons of coal left in our pile, and another 4,000 to be delivered," he said Sunday. "After that, I think that's it for us." The DEP has requested the city cease burning coal by 2010.

But while the new unit will save money spent on buying power, Isabella also has signaled the utility must expand its range of power sources. "We have to broaden our portfolio," he said, "given how the costs of fuel like gas can change."

Key to that broader approach is a plan for solar generation, which Isabella said is in its final stages of agreement. The plan would see the city partner with a solar-energy firm to produce about 4 megawatts of solar energy. The panels may be placed on land owned by the Landis Sewerage Authority and, pending approval of the deal, could be underway by next summer.

"It's not a large percentage of our output, yet," he said. "But we want to see how this project goes, and then possibly expand it."

The newest idea Isabella has explored developing a gas-producing unit that would convert waste materials into a useful gas fuel. The technology, known as Syn-Gas, can use trash, grass clippings and waste materials from trades such as construction.

"That's very much something we're just beginning to consider," he said.

E-mail Juliet Fletcher:

JFletcher@pressofac.com

Going greener

Under new plans, the Vineland Municipal Electric Utility will produce energy from increasingly green sources.

Currently, during summer peak hours, 10 percent is produced by burning coal, 5 percent is from fuel oil, and the rest, 85 percent, is purchased from a regional energy market.

By 2012, as much as
40 percent will be created
using natural gas and
3 percent will be drawn from solar energy. The rest, about 57 percent, will be market-purchased.