Biogas: Converting Waste to Energy

The United States produces over 70 million tons of organic waste annually, yet only 2,200 biogas systems are currently operating, representing less than 20 percent of the total potential. Biogas, produced via anaerobic digestion, can be used for heat, electricity, or upgraded to renewable natural gas (RNG) for pipelines and vehicles. The document highlights that expanding to 13,500 additional systems could create over 335,000 construction jobs and 23,000 permanent jobs while significantly reducing methane emissions. Key feedstocks include food waste, landfill gas, livestock manure, wastewater sludge, and crop residues. Federal support is provided through the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the Farm Bill, and agency programs like AgSTAR and the Landfill Methane Outreach Program.

• The United States has a significant untapped capacity for biogas production, with only 2,200 operating systems currently in place, which is less than 20 percent of the total potential. There is potential to add over 13,500 new systems.
• Expanding biogas infrastructure could provide substantial economic benefits, including the creation of over 335,000 temporary construction jobs and 23,000 permanent positions.
• Biogas production offers significant climate benefits by capturing methane, a greenhouse gas that is 86 times more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Using compressed natural gas from biogas can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 91 percent compared to petroleum gasoline.
• Various organic feedstocks contribute to biogas potential: livestock manure management accounted for about 10 percent of U.S. methane emissions in 2015, while food waste constitutes 21 percent of U.S. landfills. Additionally, the DOE estimates 104 million tons of crop residues are available at $60 per dry ton.
• Renewable natural gas (RNG), produced by refining biogas, has the potential to replace up to 10 percent of the natural gas used in the United States. Specifically, it could replace 56 percent of the natural gas used for vehicle fuel and 5 percent used for electricity production.
• The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is a primary driver of industry investment, with RNG producers earning $40/MMBtu (as of September 2017) through renewable identification numbers (RINs) for cellulosic biofuels.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2017). Biogas: Converting Waste to Energy. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Biogas_2017.09.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Biogas: Converting Waste to Energy. 2017. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Biogas_2017.09.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Biogas: Converting Waste to Energy |date=October 2017 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Biogas_2017.09.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2017biogas, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Biogas: Converting Waste to Energy}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Biogas_2017.09.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }