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June 16, 2010
Today, most biogas is released to the atmosphere. According to the most recent EPA data, in 2008, methane from landfills accounted for 126 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) of methane (22% of all U.S. methane emissions due to human activities); livestock manure management accounted for 45 MMTCO2e (8%); and sewage wastewater treatment systems accounted for 24 MMTCO2e (4%). In terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, capturing all of this methane would be the equivalent of removing millions of vehicles from the roads. As a renewable energy source, it could provide heat and power for hundreds of thousands of homes or provide the energy equivalent of billions of gallons of gasoline as a low-carbon, renewable transportation fuel. Since our farms and cities already collect and concentrate so much organic waste, why not use it as a renewable energy resource and turn a waste stream into a revenue stream for dairy and livestock producers and waste management agencies?
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On June 16, 2010, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing on capturing and using renewable biogas from urban and agricultural waste streams to help address our nation’s climate, energy, and resource management challenges. Renewable biogas is generated from the natural, anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in landfills, livestock manure, and wastewater treatment plants. The methane in biogas is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, but it is also a potential renewable energy source for heat, power, and transportation fuel.