Biden climate law could expand controversial biogas industry
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's climate law could help to expand a burgeoning but controversial industry that seeks to capture gases from rotting food and farm waste and convert them into fuel and other forms of energy.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Biden signed on Tuesday includes new tax credits for companies that build machinery, like anaerobic digesters, to capture climate-harming emissions including methane from landfills or animal manure lagoons and convert them into natural gas, electricity and heat. The biogas industry argues the technology is key to meeting the nation’s climate goals.
“This bill is probably the most helpful piece of legislation that we have had in well over a decade, maybe ever,” said Patrick Serfass, executive director of the American Biogas Council (ABC).
Many environmental groups have opposed the biogas industry, particularly the construction of on-farm manure digesters, because they are often economical only for large-scale farms. The groups argue new credits for the industry could incentivize already-big farms to grow, increasing emissions and other environmental harms such as runoff into waterways.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/biden-climate-law-could-expand-controversial-biogas-industry/ar-AA10QofU