Report: Anaerobic digesters key to cutting methane emissions
Report recommends building 300 more anaerobic digesters (ADs) in the state to harness this methane rather than letting it escape into the atmosphere.
Expanding anaerobic digestion of New York's organic waste streams could cut the state's methane emissions 15% while improving public health and creating jobs, a new report by the NGO Energy Vision finds. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Cutting methane emissions is the most important lever for mitigating climate change in the next 5-20 years.
The report, "Putting New York's Organic Waste to Work," shows organic waste accounts for one third of New York's methane emissions. It recommends building 300 more anaerobic digesters (ADs) in the state to harness this methane rather than letting it escape into the atmosphere. ADs are sealed environments where methane-rich biogas from decomposing organic waste is captured and used to generate renewable electricity or refined into renewable natural gas (RNG), the lowest-carbon fuel available.
Some 200 ADs are already installed across New York. Building 300 more would create roughly 8,000 jobs and attract $3.4 billion in federal and private sector investment. These ADs would get New York halfway to the Global Methane Pledge goal of cutting anthropogenic methane emissions 30% by 2030. And they could generate enough RNG fuel to power 32,000 refuse trucks, replacing diesel demand and avoiding harmful health effects of diesel exhaust.
"It is critical we remain open to all ideas that can help us meet our state's ambitious climate goals," said New York State Sen. Sean M. Ryan (D-61). "I look forward to taking part in substantive conversations in Albany about the policy recommendations Energy Vision has put forward."
"To achieve New York's climate goals, we need to make use of all of the forms of renewable energy available to us," said New York State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner. This useful report [shows we can] leverage existing waste streams [as] an alternative energy source."
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