Ma*

Market Opportunities for Biogas
Recovery Systems

June 2010

Biogas recovery systems at livestock operations can
be a cost-effective source of clean, renewable energy
that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Because of
its high energy content, biogas can be collected from manure
and burned to supply on-farm energy needs for electricity or
heating. As of April 2010, there were approximately 150 opera-
tional anaerobic digestion systems in the U.S. Biogas recovery
systems are technically feasible at more than 8,000 U.S. dairy
and swine operations. These facilities offer a substantial busi-
ness opportunity to increase farm income. Biogas recovery

systems at these facilities have the potential to collectively
generate more than 13 million megawatt-hours (MWh) per
year and displace about 1,670 megawatts (MW) of fossil fuel-
fired generation. In addition, biogas recovery systems are also
feasible at some poultry operations.

Animal

Candidate

Electricity Generating Potential

Sector

Farms

MW

MWh/year

Swine

5,596

804

6,341,527

Dairy

2,645

863

6,802,914

Total

8,241

1,667

13,144,441

Top 10 States for Electricity Generating Potential from Manure Biogas Recovery Systems*

Number of Methane Emissions Methane Production Energy Production Potential Electricity Generation
Candidate Farms Reductions (1,000 Tons) Potential (billion ff/year) (1000 MMBtu/year) Potential (1,000 MWh/year)

SWINE FARMS











Iowa

1,997

301

21.5

19,818

1,829

North Carolina

939

203

13.2

12,145

1,121

Minnesota

707

63

7.3

6,726

621

Illinois

350

39

4.3

3,936

363

Missouri

154

34

3.5

3,265

301

Indiana

296

31

3.5

3,208

296

Oklahoma

56

51

3.4

3,164

292

Nebraska

177

27

3.2

2,942

272

Kansas

80

22

2.3

2,161

199

Texas

10

25

1.6

1,516

140

Remaining 40 States

830

109

10.6

9,828

907

Subtotal



5,596

905

74.4

68,710

6,342

DAIRY FARMS











California

889

341

27.9

25,729

2,375

Idaho

203

99

8.9

8,257

762

New Mexico

110

64

5.3

4,930

455

Texas

155

66

5.0

4,644

429

Wisconsin

251

41

4.5

4,178

386

Washington

125

35

3.4

3,183

294

Arizona

54

44

3.1

2,851

263

Michigan

107

26

2.9

2,661

246

New York

111

18

2.1

1,915

177

Colorado

54

22

2.0

1,889

174

Remaining 40 States

588

152

14.6

13,473

1,243

Subtotal

2,645

908

79.9

73,709

6,803

U.S. Total

8,241

1,813

154

142,419

13,144

* Preliminary assessment based on the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Subtotals and totals may not add due to rounding. Afull report will be posted on
the AgSTAR website, www.epa.gov/agstar laterthis year.

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