however, only the electricity generated is
eligible for the tax credit.
Is Landfill-Gas-to-Energy in
Your Future?
Are you interested in using landfill
gas as an energy source? Don’t know where
to start? LMOP has a number of tools that
can help determine if there could be a
landfill in your future. The program offers
technical support that includes finding a
landfill, estimating gas generation and
project economic analysis.
The first step is as simple as providing
the plant address. From there LMOP can
search a 5-, 10-, 15- or 20-mile radius to
find the landfills near that facility. If you
are a landfill searching for an end-user,
LMOP can help find potential end-users
in the same radius and model the gas
generation using the EPA’s LandGEM software. Then LMOP can compare the
results to an end-user’s energy demand
and see if there is a good match.
Via its cost-analysis tool called
LFGCost, LMOP can determine if a project
might be a good investment. The cost
tool provides economic data such as net
present value, internal rate of return and
years to payback. In addition, the tool
estimates environmental benefits such as
total amount of methane destroyed and
the overall greenhouse gas emissions
reductions. (More information on LMOP
tools is available at www.epa.gov/lmop.)
Using landfill gas for energy is a
win-win opportunity. Landfill gas energy
projects involve citizens, nonprofit
organizations, local governments and
industry in sustainable community planning and creative partnerships. These
projects go hand-in-hand with community and corporate commitments to cleaner
air, renewable energy, economic development, improved public welfare and safety, and reductions in greenhouse gases
that contribute to global warming. By
linking communities with innovative ways
to deal with their landfill gas, LMOP contributes to the creation of livable communities that enjoy increased environmental
protection, better waste management and
responsible community planning.
Rachel Goldstein is a program
manager of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Landfill Methane
Outreach Program (LMOP), a voluntary program that encourages
methane emissions reductions
through the capture and beneficial use of landfill gas. Goldstein’s primary roles are to manage
the New England/Mid-Atlantic territory and
LMOP’s corporate outreach activities. Prior to
joining the EPA, she spent 11 years in the environmental safety and health field. Goldstein,
who holds a master of business administration
degree, is on the board of directors for the
Women’s Council on Energy and Environment.
She can be reached at Goldstein.Rachel@
epamail.epa.gov.
