December 2008
Landfill  Gas  Energy
Fueling the Economy and a  Sustainable Energy Future While
Improving the  Environment
     Landfill gas (LFG) energy projects have been
     around since the late 1970s, providing
     sustainable renewable energy in the form of
electricity and renewable fuel to citizens, businesses,
and industry. In 2007 alone, more than 440
operational LFG energy projects in 42 states supplied:

 • 11 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, and
 • 78 billion cubic feet of LFG to end users.
The estimated annual environmental benefits
associated with these operational projects are
equivalent to:

 • Carbon sequestered annually by  17,500,000 acres
   of pine or fir forests, or
 • C02 emissions from 179,000,000 barrels of oil
   consumed, or
 • Annual greenhouse gas emissions from 14,000,000
   passenger vehicles, or
 • C02 emissions from burning 400,000 railcars'
   worth of coal.
LFG  energy projects  also have  a substantial impact
on economic growth and cost savings. A typical 3
megawatt LFG  electricity project is estimated to have
the following national benefits (direct, indirect, and
induced) during the construction year:
 • Increase the output of the U.S. economy by nearly
   $14 million ($3 million is local and mostly
   employee earnings).
 • Fmploy nearly 70 people (expressed in full-time
   equivalents per year).
These projects bring significant cost savings and
long-term energy price stability to LFG end users:

 • BMW Manufacturing has saved $8 million since
   2003  at its plant in Greer, South Carolina.
 • General Motors' current  4 direct-use LFG energy
   projects save the company a total of over $2
   million per year.
 • SC Johnson estimates $1 million in net savings per
   year at its plant in Racine, Wisconsin.
 • The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center saves
   taxpayers nearly $400,000 per year with its LFG
   energy project in Greenbelt, Maryland.
However, much remains to be done. EPA estimates
that at least 520 other landfills present economically
attractive opportunities for LFG energy project
development, with the potential to generate an
additional 1,200 megawatts or 13,000 million British
thermal units per hour (MMBtu/hr).

LFG energy—utilizing an otherwise wasted resource
to benefit the environment and the economy!
  EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) is a voluntary assistance and partnership program that promotes
  the use of LFG as a renewable energy resource. By preventing emissions of methane-a powerful greenhouse gas-
  through the development of LFG energy projects, LMOP helps businesses, states, and communities protect the
  environment and build a sustainable future. Over the past thirteen years, LMOP has assisted in the development of
  over 360 LFG energy projects. As of December 31, 2007, LFG energy projects with LMOP involvement have cumulatively
  prevented more than 4.5 million tons of methane from entering the atmosphere.  For more information about LMOP,
  visit www.cpa.gov/lmop.

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