1 August 2014: The US Department of Energy, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have released the ‘Biogas Opportunities Roadmap.’ The report supports a partnership these agencies have fostered with private industry to voluntarily reduce US methane emissions. In particular, it highlights the “win-win” that biogas systems represent, in terms of climate change mitigation benefits and improving farmers’ bottom lines.

According to the Roadmap, the US is well below its full biogas potential, with approximately 2,100 currently operational biogas systems out of just over 13,000 potential sites. Of these potential sites, 8,000 are livestock operations. The report identifies the following barriers to fulfilling this potential: lack of awareness of biogas benefits; unpredictable biogas market conditions; lack of market maturity; lack of full valuation; inconsistencies across government jurisdictions; and lack of technical and applied research and development (R&D).

To overcome these barriers, the Roadmap points to, inter alia, various existing programmes under US Government agencies that can offer additional technical and financial assistance, research and new technology, and policy changes to promote biogas systems. The Roadmap supports the ‘Climate Action Plan – Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions,’ released by US President Obama’s administration in March 2014. [US Department of Energy Press Release] [Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Fact Sheet] [Publication: Biogas Opportunities Roadmap: Voluntary Actions to Reduce Methane Emissions and Increase Energy Independence]