WASHINGTON – A Rhode Island company will receive up to $15 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to construct and operate a landfill gas-to-electricity power plant at the state’s central landfill in Johnston.

The Energy Department said in a news release Tuesday that the facility by LFG Genco LLC of Johnston would become the second-largest such facility in the United States. The plant is projected to save an estimated 1.21 trillion Btu annually from the landfill gas that would otherwise be flared.

The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which directed money toward industrial combined heat and power systems, district energy systems for industrial facilities, and technical and financial assistance to local industry. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $155 million in projects, including the Rhode Island project.

“To remain globally competitive, American industry needs to be energy efficient. The funding for industrial energy efficiency technologies announced today will support a robust American industrial sector and help to usher in a clean energy economy,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said. “Many companies already realize that improving efficiency saves money while helping the environment. These projects will make energy efficiency technologies more widely available, cutting energy use and reducing carbon pollution across the country.”

LFG Genco LLC is an affiliate of Ridgewood Renewable Power, LLC, an international owner and operator of renewable electric power and infrastructure projects in the United States and Egypt.