The number of Texas landfill gas-to-energy projects have been steadily increasing in recent years as landfills are being tapped for heat, electricity and renewable motor fuel.

Landfill Biogas: Putting Methane to Work

As of 2008, Texas has 21 landfill gas energy projects and the potential to develop over 50 more sites. Landfill sites offer some of the best opportunities for power generation. About half of the gas emitted by landfills is methane, which is chemically the same as natural gas. Landfill gas is an energy source that, when used, directly prevents atmospheric pollution.

Municipal solid waste landfills are the largest source of human-related methane in the United States, accounting for 34 percent of these emissions. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to smog and to the global warming of the atmosphere, remaining in the atmosphere for 9-15 years. Landfills must monitor their methane production or collect and burn it to prevent air pollution.

When burned under controlled conditions rather letting it escape into the atmosphere, methane becomes a valuable renewable energy resource that can generate electricity, heat or fuel for vehicles. Turning hazardous landfill gas into marketable energy adds to landfill safety, improves the environment and decreases odors — all while generating revenue. Purified methane can be used on the premises for electricity or to fuel boilers or other thermal applications. Pipeline grade methane can be transported by pipeline for sale to the local power grid to run electric generators. See this landfill gas to energy video (recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

Landfill gas uses a similar technology to anaerobic digestion. The natural anaerobic (without oxygen) decay and decomposition of landfill biomass waste materials causes emissions of landfill gas (biogas). To release the methane, landfill gas wells are drilled into a landfill. Then pipes from each well carry the gas to a central point where it is filtered and cleaned before burning. Biogas taps one of society’s least desirable items, garbage, and turns it into a useful, high-value energy producer.

Though environmentalists see landfill methane production as a common-sense way to use waste products, the technology has been slow to catch on because historically there have been few economic incentives. As landfills fill up and tipping fees increase however, biomass power generation is becoming an economically attractive prospect.

The 1970 Clean Air Act authorized the end of open burning at U.S. landfills. Current EPA regulations under the Clean Air Act require many landfill owners/operators to collect and combust landfill gas by either burning the gas off by flaring it, or by installing a landfill gas energy system.

If the 70 largest landfills in Texas were fully developed for energy use, approximately 40 billion cubic feet of methane now drifting toxically into the atmosphere or being wasted in flares would be utilized. It is estimated that nearly 200 MW of electricity could be generated from this unutilized gas to provide electric power for over 100,000 Texas homes.

Texas Landfill Gas Study

SECO has commissioned Texas A&M University’s Texas Transportation Institute to study the conversion of landfill gas into liquid natural gas to be used to fuel refuse trucks in Texas. The A&M team will develop an inventory of Texas landfill sites and associated refuse trucks and perform a preliminary estimate of the emissions and energy implications of employing landfill gas conversion in non-attainment areas (areas where air pollution levels persistently exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standard).

Return to Top of Page

Denton, Texas: World's First Landfill-to-Biodiesel

It became obvious that the operating expenses of this project could be reduced to a bare minimum if a modest amount of landfill gas energy was used for the process heat needs of the biodiesel facility. John Villella, DTE Biomass Energy, Inc.

Denton, Texas, is the home of the world's first sustainably-powered biofuel production facility, powered by biogas from the city landfill. In March 2005, Denton was awarded the Alternative Fuel Project of the Year Award, One Renewable Fuel 'Fuels' Another, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Landfill Methane Outreach Program.

In a joint venture, DTE Biomass Energy and Biodiesel Industries created a system that uses landfill gas from a DTE facility to fuel a Biodiesel Industries production facility. In turn, the biodiesel fuel runs the city’s fleet of buses, garbage trucks and other utility vehicles with B20, a blend of 80 percent diesel and 20 percent biodiesel. Using B20 reduces fleet emissions of pollutants by up to 12 tons per year, which will help to alleviate the city's current air pollution. The plant will produce 3 million gallons of biodiesel per year.

Killeen Supports Emissions-Free Waste Management

The new facility will present an opportunity for regional
savings in solid waste hauling and landfill disposal costs in an environmentally
responsible way

In June 2008, the City of Kileen donated 40 acres of land to ZEROS (Zero-emissions Energy Recycling Oxidation System) to build a zero waste emissions-free power plant near the Williamson County landfill. The plant was designed at Texas A&M University. ZEROS will use leading edge technology to convert solid waste from the land fill into electricity and other useable byproducts. The plant will use an oxygenated system to convert as much as 300,000 tons of garbage annually into electricity with zero emissions. Killeen was chosen because it met the criteria to provide the waste as fuel. In return, the company has agreed to sell back to the city at a reduced rate byproducts such as diesel fuel, gasoline and clean water which can be used to irrigate dry areas and be recycled into municipal water systems. The estimated cost of $250 million to $300 million will be provided by private investors. The plant is expected to create 200 jobs in Killeen while reducing the city's landfill waste treatment costs from $20 to $24 per ton to $10 per ton. The processing plant won’t begin to be fired for at least another three years.

Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LandGEM) Conversion Tool
The LandGEM is an interactive tool that estimates air pollutant emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LandGEM), for estimating air pollutant emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. Model results can be used to estimate the recoverable methane available for a potential landfill gas energy (LFGE) project. LandGEM can also be used by landfill owners and operators to determine if a landfill is subject to the control requirements of the federal New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) for new MSW landfills, the emission guidelines for existing MSW landfills, or the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for MSW landfills. The User's Guide contains key information necessary to properly operate the model.

Additional Resources

For an overview of the use of landfill and municipal waste, see the Landfill Gas overview and the Municipal Waste Combustion overview in the Texas Comptroller's 2008 energy report.

EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program
A U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site.

EPA's Methane Sources and Emissions web page

U.S. Inventory Report: Waste
The U.S. inventory report provides a detailed description on methane emissions from landfills and how they are estimated.

Methane's Greenhouse Gas Properties
This is an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publication.

Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credits
This summary of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 tax credits for renewable energy generation is provided by Northeast Regional Biomass Program.

Methane Generation in Texas 2005
A SECO-commissioned study by Texas A & M University's Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.

Landfill Methane Outreach Program
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's Landfill Methane Outreach Program is a voluntary assistance and partnership program that promotes the use of landfill gas as a renewable, green energy source.

Creating Ethanol from Trash
Researchers find a way to make liquid fuels from waste cheaply and without the pollution produced by earlier methods. A new system for converting trash into ethanol and methanol could help reduce the amount of waste piling up in landfills while displacing a large fraction of the fossil fuels used to power vehicles in the United States.

From the Landfill to the VA: Turning Waste Gas into Energy

Fuel Cell Uses Biogas from Sewage to Generate Electricity

Creating Ethanol from Trash January 2007
Researchers find a way to make liquid fuels from waste cheaply and without the pollution produced by earlier methods. A new system for converting trash into ethanol and methanol could help reduce the amount of waste piling up in landfills while displacing a large fraction of the fossil fuels used to power vehicles in the United States.

Return to Top of Page

Send comments, questions, and suggestions to website manager.

Window on State Government | Privacy and Security Policy | Accessibility Policy