Benefits of LFG Energy

EPA created the Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) in 1994 to significantly reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills by encouraging the use of landfill gas (LFG) for energy, which has the added benefit of offsetting the use of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. Since the program’s inception, LMOP’s efforts have reduced landfill methane emissions by more than 33.8 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE). The environmental benefits are equivalent to annually sequestering carbon with 28 million acres of pine or fir forests or removing the annual greenhouse gas emissions from more than 22 million passenger vehicles.

EPA is interested in developing LFG energy for many reasons:

• Projects help destroy methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, and offset the use of non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas, and oil.
• There are many cost-effective options for reducing methane emissions while generating energy. (To learn more about the economic feasibility of a LFG energy project, see LFGcost-Web under Documents, Tools, and Resources.)
• Projects help reduce local air pollution.
• Projects create jobs, revenues, and cost savings.

Of the 2,300 or so currently operating or recently closed MSW landfills in the United States, more than 450 have LFG utilization projects. We estimate that approximately 520 additional MSW landfills could turn their gas into energy, producing enough electricity to power nearly 700,000 homes.

Landfill gas emitted from decomposing garbage is a reliable and renewable fuel option that remains largely untapped at many landfills across the United States, despite its many benefits. Generating energy from LFG creates a number of environmental benefits:

Directly reduces greenhouse gas emissions

Municipal solid waste landfills are the second largest human-generated source of methane emissions in the United States, releasing an estimated 30 MMTCE to the atmosphere in 2006 alone. Given that all landfills generate methane, it makes sense to use the gas for the beneficial purpose of energy generation rather than emitting it to the atmosphere. Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas that is a key contributor to global climate change (over 21 times stronger than CO₂). Methane also has a short (10-year) atmospheric life. Because methane is both potent and short-lived, reducing methane emissions from MSW landfills is one of the best ways to achieve a near-term beneficial impact in mitigating global climate change.

It is estimated that a LFG project will capture roughly 60-90% of the methane emitted from the landfill, depending on system design and effectiveness. The captured methane is destroyed (converted to water and the much less potent CO₂) when the gas is burned to produce electricity^a. The LFGE Benefits Calculator can be used to estimate greenhouse gas reductions from LFG recovery projects.

^aCO₂ emissions from MSW landfills are not considered to contribute to global climate change because the carbon was contained in recently living biomass. The same CO₂ would be emitted as a result of the natural decomposition of the organic waste materials outside the landfill environment.

Indirectly reduces air pollution by offsetting the use of non-renewable resources

Producing energy from LFG avoids the need to use non-renewable resources such as coal, oil, or natural gas to produce the same amount of energy. This can avoid gas end-user and power plant emissions of CO₂ and criteria pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (which is a major contributor to acid rain), particulate matter (a respiratory health concern), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), and trace hazardous air pollutants.

It should be noted that LFG electricity generation devices, like all combustion devices, generate some emissions of NO_x, which can contribute to local ozone and smog formation. Depending on the fuels and technologies used by the power plant and the landfill project, the NO_x emission reductions from the power plant may not completely offset the NO_x emitted from the LFG electricity project. However, the overall environmental improvement from landfill gas electricity generation projects is significant because of the large methane reductions, hazardous air pollutant reductions, and avoidance of the use of limited non-renewable resources such as coal and oil that are more polluting than LFG.

Creates other indirect benefits

Collecting landfill gas to produce electricity improves the air quality of the surrounding community by reducing landfill odors. Burning LFG to produce electricity also destroys most of the non-methane organic compounds that are present at low concentrations in uncontrolled LFG, thereby reducing possible health risks from these compounds. Gas collection can also improve safety by reducing explosion hazards from gas accumulation in structures on or near the landfill. Generating electricity from existing MSW landfills is also a relatively cost-effective way to provide new renewable energy generation capacity to supply community power needs, and can create jobs that help build the local economy.

Benefits the local economy

Landfill gas projects generate revenue from the sale of the gas. Landfill gas use can also create jobs associated with the design, construction, and operation of energy recovery systems. Landfill gas projects involve engineers, construction firms, equipment vendors, and utilities or end-users of the power produced. Much of this cost is spent locally for drilling, piping, construction, and operational personnel, helping communities to realize economic benefits from increased employment and local sales. Businesses are also realizing the cost savings associated with using LFG as a replacement for more expensive fossil fuels, such as natural gas. Some companies will save millions of dollars over the life of their LFG energy projects. By linking communities with innovative ways to deal with their LFG, LMOP helps communities enjoy increased environmental protection, better waste management, and responsible community planning. For example, the Ecology Club at Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri, came up with the idea to use gas from the nearby landfill to heat their school. The school paid $175,000 to run a 3,600-foot pipeline between the landfill and the school's two basement boilers. In turn, the landfill owner donated the methane to the school as a way of "giving back to the community." The school anticipates that it will save $40,000 a year, and recapture its investment within five years.

Reduces environmental compliance costs

Current EPA regulations under the Clean Air Act require many larger landfills to collect and combust LFG. There are several compliance options, including flaring the gas, or installing an LFG use system. Only LFG energy recovery offers communities and landfill owners the opportunity to reduce the costs associated with regulatory compliance by turning pollution into a valuable community resource.

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