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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 electricitya.
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 (NOx), and
trace hazardous air pollutants.
It should be noted that LFG electricity generation devices, like
all combustion devices, generate some emissions of NOx,
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 NOx emission reductions
from the power plant may not completely offset the NOx 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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