PCSR INFORMATION FROM ERL 06-23-2009

Home Browse Search

Environmental Protection Agency - LMOP: Benefits of Energy Page 1 of 3 r U.~. trC~fl~OhtRifr~fi",~,~ I~RETI N1f' . ~ ' i Recent Additions I Contact Us I Print Version Search:. -_~~ EPA_Home > Climate..__C.ha.nge. > Metha_n..e. > Voluntary Programs > LMOP > Benefits of LFG Energy Methane "ome .- Benefits of LFG Energy ~ ~ ~~ ._ ~ ~~: LMOP Home EPA created the Landfill Methane Outreach Program t,~ ~~~ ,+~~~ Basic Information (LMOP) in .1994 to significantly reduce methane ° " ~~ ~ , ..k~ ~r;,~~;.: ~,~.~ Accomplishments emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills , by encouraging the use of landfill gas (LFG) for energy, which has the added benefit of Energy Projects and offsetting the use of fossil fuels such as coal grid natural gas. Since the program's Candidate Landfills inception, LMOP's efforts have reduced landfill methane emissions by more than 33.8 Benefits of LFG Energy 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 Partners removing the annual greenhouse gas emissions from more than 22 million passenger Join the Program vehicles. Documents, Tools & Resources EPA is interested in developing LFG energy for many reasons: Newsroom Projects help destroy methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, and offset the use of Workshops) non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas, and oil. Conferences o There are many cost-effective options for reducing methane emissions while International Activities generating energy. (To learn more about the economic feasibility of a LFG energy Frequent questions project, see LFGcost-Web under Documents, Tools, and Resources.) • Projects help reduce local air pollution. Green Power • 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 32 MMTCE to the atmosphere in 2007 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 C02). 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 anear-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 C02) when the gas is burned to produce electricitya. The LFGE_Benefits_C....alcu_latorean be used to estimate greenhouse gas reductions from LFG recovery projects. aC0 emissions from MSW landfills are not considered to contribute to global climate change because the carbon was ~COntained in recently living biomass. The same COZ would be emitted as a result of the natural decomposition of the organic waste materials outside the landfill environment. http://www. epa. goy/)mop/benefits.htm 6/18/2009