Landfill Methane

Landfills are the third largest source of anthropogenic methane in the U.S., contributing 17.7 percent of all U.S. methane emissions. The EPA regulates large municipal solid waste landfills through the Clean Air Act and RCRA, while the voluntary Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) facilitates the development of energy projects. As of October 2012, 605 operational energy projects exist across 48 states, producing 15 billion kWh of electricity and 100 billion cubic feet of gas for direct use annually. The economic viability of these projects depends heavily on whether capture systems are already in place; for example, a 3 MW turbine project with an existing system can yield a net return of $590,000 over 15 years, whereas one without a system may lose $3.5 million without additional tax credits or carbon offsets.

• Landfills represent the third largest source of human-caused methane in the United States, with landfill gas (LFG) accounting for 17.7 percent of total U.S. methane emissions. In 2011, this resulted in 103 million metric tonnes of carbon equivalent being released. Methane is identified as a short-lived climate pollutant that is 72 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
• The EPA regulates large municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Clean Air Act. Regulations apply to landfills that have accepted waste since 1987 and contain more than 2.5 million metric tons or 2.5 million cubic meters of waste, requiring them to collect LFG and dispose of it via flaring or controlled combustion for energy.
• The Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP), established in 1994, is a voluntary initiative that connects landfill operators with developers and provides project assistance. By October 2012, the program saw 605 operational energy projects across 48 states, generating 15 billion kWh of electricity and 100 billion cubic feet of LFG for direct use each year.
• The financial viability of LFG-to-energy projects varies by technology and existing infrastructure. Direct-use projects generally have lower costs and higher internal rates of return (57 percent) compared to electricity projects (14 percent). For a 3 MW turbine project, the net return is approximately $590,000 over 15 years if a capture system is already installed, but it could result in a $3.5 million loss if no system exists, unless offset by tax credits, carbon credits, or on-site use.
• Federal incentives available for LFG projects include the Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC) of 1.1 cents/kWh for projects starting by the end of 2013, and the Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which can cover up to 30 percent of project costs.

APA

Pierson, R. (2013). Landfill Methane. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-landfill-methane

Chicago

Pierson, Rachel. Landfill Methane. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2013. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-landfill-methane.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pierson |first1=Rachel |title=Landfill Methane |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=26 April 2013 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-landfill-methane |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pierson2013landfill, author = {Pierson, Rachel}, title = {{Landfill Methane}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-landfill-methane}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }