Projects
Operating Anaerobic Digester Projects
As of June 2012, AgSTAR estimates that there are 191 anaerobic digester systems operating at commercial livestock farms in the United States. The AgSTAR database provides more detailed information about operating projects.
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Number of Operating Digesters
Total Energy Production
Of these operational projects, 175 generate electrical or thermal energy from the captured biogas. The electricity projects produce about 570,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually, and boiler projects, pipeline injection, and other energy projects generate an additional 55,000 MWh equivalent per year. Other projects flare the captured gas to reduce methane emissions and control odor.
In total, the combustion of biogas at the digesters prevents the direct emission of about 62,000 metric tons of methane annually (1,298,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent). In addition, the combustion of biogas displaces the use of fossil fuels for energy generation, thus achieving additional emissions reductions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.
Many of the digester systems included in the database were funded in part by USDA Rural Development through the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills.
Farm Project Profiles
Anaerobic digester systems can be installed successfully at operations that collect manure as a liquid, slurry, or semi-solid. Existing farms use a variety of different types of digester designs and energy use technologies. Details about operating projects can be reviewed by clicking on a map marker in the above map or the full list of operating projects is available here (XLS) (91K, Download XLS Viewer 
). In-depth profiles of select projects are available here.
Anaerobic Digester Database
| Farm Type | Number of Digester Projects |
|---|---|
| Dairy | 157 |
| Swine | 23 |
| Poultry | 4 |
| Beef | 2 |
| Mixed | 5 |
(last updated June 2012)
The Excel spreadsheets below provide basic information for anaerobic digester systems in the United States. The spreadsheets show projects in the following stages: construction, operational, and shutdown. Download XLS viewer .
- Anaerobic digesters, sorted by operational status and by state (XLS) (275K)
- Operational anaerobic digesters, sorted by state (XLS) (99K)
- Dairy projects (XLS) (88K)
- Swine projects (XLS) (37K)
- Beef projects (XLS) (28K)
- Poultry projects(XLS) (27K)
These data were compiled from a variety of sources. AgSTAR cannot guarantee the accuracy of these data. AgSTAR encourages farm operators, project developers, financers, and others involved in the development of farm digester projects to provide updates and corrections to these data by contacting AgSTAR.