New Partnership Targets Hog Waste, Greenhouse Gas
June 12, 2008
Contact: Bill Holman, 919-613-8737 or bill.holman@duke.edu
DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina’s millions of hogs produce vast quantities of methane gas which in turn add to global warming woes. Now, a diverse group of committed organizations is mapping out news ways to limit the impact of these gases on climate change.
Google, Inc., Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Cavanaugh & Associates and Duke Energy are partnering to model an innovative swine waste treatment process, focused on capturing biogas from anaerobic digestion for conversion to electricity. Each partner is contributing strengths to certain areas of the project, including renewable energy policy and legislation, project funding, team facilitation and swine waste management technology.
“In layman’s terms, we’ve come together to figure out how to contain and harness greenhouse gas released by the waste created by hog farms,” said Bill Holman, director of state policy at the Nicholas Institute. “Now, instead of those gases rising into the atmosphere and hurting our environment, we can capture them and, down the road, use them as a clean fuel to power our communities.”
Hog waste may one day help to power your lights and recharge your mobile phone, but this renewable energy source remains largely untapped. In addition to incentives and potential revenue streams for renewable energy production, the new partnership is exploring the potential revenue from carbon credits for the capture of methane. Carbon credits are a central piece of the “green” economy many experts predict will only accelerate in the coming years.
“North Carolina is really a renewable energy advocate’s dream,” said Eliah Gilfenbaum, Google’s deputy czar of renewable energy. “Everywhere you look there is the potential for new, exciting and clean energy sources. From hog farms and land fills to rivers, windy mountains and sunshine, the state is well positioned to contribute to 21st century energy solutions.”
After creating a model for evaluating inputs and outputs of various farm sizes and types, the team worked with six North Carolina swine farmers to evaluate the feasibility of biogas projects on their farms. In March the team worked with farmers to submit two applications for cost share funding for improved treatment systems under the N.C. Lagoon Conversion Program. These systems would feature biogas to electricity processes. Funding request results are expected in May.
In 2000, researchers at NC State University began looking at ways to make hog farms, one of the state’s major economic engines, more environmentally friendly. The research, funded by Smithfield Foods and the Attorney General of North Carolina, remains a cornerstone of efforts to harness the potential power of methane gas.
Last year, Google launched RE<C, a strategic initiative with the mission to develop electricity from renewable sources cheaper than electricity produced from coal. Google’s participation in the new partnership stems from this initiative as well as from its commitment to making a difference in the state hosting the company’s new $600 million data center in Lenoir.
The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University is a nonpartisan institute founded in 2005 to engage with decision makers in government, industry and the nonprofit community to develop innovative proposals that address critical environmental challenges. It leverages the broad academic expertise of Duke University, as well as public and private partners nationwide, to foster impartial, policy-relevant analysis and encourage open, ongoing dialogue between stakeholders on all sides of the issues.
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