Dive Brief:

• A new facility at the Portero Hills Landfill in Suisun City, CA is now producing renewable energy from landfill gas (LFG). DTE Biomass Energy Inc. and Pacolet Milliken Enterprises teamed up to complete the project, and the landfill is owned by Waste Connections Inc.
• The 8-megawatt facility will provide power for up to 10,000 area homes under a long-term agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric.
• The facility's advanced technology treats landfill gas before combustion to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. A post-combustion catalytic reduction process also lowers carbon monoxide and formaldehyde emissions.

Dive Insight:

This new facility continues DTE Biomass Energy's dominance in the LFG market. The company has more than 20 facilities across eight states, including high-profile sites such as Fresh Kills in New York. Recent projects also include facilities in Los Angeles and Mt. Gilead, NC.

The EPA estimates that out of the country's 2,400 active or closed municipal solid waste landfills, nearly 600 have active LFG-to-energy projects and another 400 sites are suitable for them. About three-fourths of the current projects generate electricity from LFG. Others use the LFG to produce heat or alternative fuels.

While some LFG projects have struggled with efficiency issues, such as Advanced Disposal's Emerald Park site in Wisconsin, the technology has had success overall. Companies can make money from gas they're responsible for controlling anyway and governments can move closer to meeting emissions reduction targets. The Portero Hills facility will help California with its goal of producing 50% of the state's energy from renewable sources by 2030.