Earlier this month the US Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Energy and Environmental Protection Agency published the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap. The 27-page document suggests that dairy farms of all sizes could enhance their revenues through nitrogen and phosphorus recovery made possible through advanced anaerobic digestion technology.

The Biogas Opportunities Roadmap lays out a plan for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency to use existing programs to enhance the use of biogas systems in the US by conducting research to accelerate the development of bio-based products from biomass systems and strengthening programs that support farmers as they install these systems on their operations, among other things.¹

The roadmap aims to build on the progress made to date to address some of the barriers that currently limit biogas development and supports voluntary efforts to reduce methane emissions already underway across the country. It also reflects a commitment to continue working with industry stakeholders on identifying steps to expand the biogas industry, including through the development of new technologies. More importantly, it supports the Climate Action Plan – Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions and outlines voluntary actions to support the expansion of the American biogas industry and help it live up to its full potential.

“We’re encouraged by the very existence of this Roadmap,” said Steve Dvorak, president of DVO, the nation’s largest designer of anaerobic digestion systems.  “It will help educate government agencies, the dairy industry and the public on the numerous economic and environmental benefits of anaerobic digestion.”

The Biogas Opportunities Roadmap is available for free download from the epa.gov website.

1. In a follow-up blog, the authors of the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap (Paul Gunning, director of the Climate Change Division at the US Environmental Protection Agency; Todd Campbell, Energy Policy Advisor at the US Department of Agriculture; and Reuben Sarkar, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation at the US Department of Energy) explain the underlying policy concepts.