By David Shaw; Finger Lakes Times

It’s a one-of-a-kind operation in the United States.

The Seneca Energy spread across the road from Seneca Meadows is the only one nationwide generating commercially sold natural gas and electricity created from methane and carbon dioxide produced by the decomposing trash buried at the landfill.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday for Seneca Energy II, a plant that converts landfill gas to natural gas.

The natural gas has been produced around the clock since March, except for a two-week shutdown, and is being added to three pipelines that take it across the country to California. There, it is sold to the Sacramento Municipal Utility. It’s also compressed for use as fuel in natural gas-burning vehicles in California.