CALIFORNIA COW POOP POWER

A solution for climate change, a source of New Energy and new income for dairy farmers – what’s not to like?

One of the most frequently used catch-phrases in Washington these days: “Public-private partnership.” It is the way legislation can get through the “big government vs. free market” catch-22.

Making biogas from cow poop is not a complete or perfect answer to the energy security and global climate change challenges. But it's a lot better to be a part of the solution than a part of the problem. Public-private partnerships are a little bit like that.

When something very expensive is needed, like New Energy or new infrastructure, government provides policy and a sort of “down payment” but leaves room for business to come into the market and make a profit.

Public-private partnerships run multiple potential risks. They put government in the position of picking winners. Or somebody’s friends could too easily get at project profits. Government could incentivize technology overly dependent on tax breaks and subsidies.

But when the New Energy and new infrastructure are urgently needed (and they are), the public-private partnership is a solution. In California, farmers and methane processors can work together to generate biogas while leaving the problem of selling the electricity they generate to the utility.

David Albers, BioEnergy Solutions President/Vintage Dairy partner: "This makes much more sense…We're not generating electricity at all. PG&E's doing that."

PG&E estimates cow manure biogas could produce 5% of its electricity need.

California just became a cow-power state. (click to enlarge)

California cows to supply renewable gas energy
David R. Baker, March 4, 2008 (San Francisco Chronicle)
and
PG&E begins tapping into cow power today
Matt Nauman, March 4, 2008 (San Jose Mercury News)

WHO
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) (Jennifer Zerwer, spokeswoman); BioEnergy Solutions (David Albers, President); Vintage Dairy (David Albers, partner); Microgy

Dave Albers of BioEnergy Solutions and Vintage Dairies, standing among his energy resources. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
PG&E will purchase 3 billion cubic feet/year of biogas generated from the manure on at Vintage Dairy by BioEnergy Solutions and use it to produce electricity for 50,000 customers.

WHEN
- The Fresno BioEnergy/Vintage project kicks off March 4.
- An agreement between PG&E and Microgy to generate electricity from cow manure biogas is expected to begin production in June.

Explanation of the process. (click to enlarge)

WHERE
- Vintage Dairy is a 1700-acre facility in Riverdale, near Fresno, in Fresno County.
- PG&E is based in San Francisco, CA.

WHY
- Vintage Dairy has 5000 cows.
- The BioEnergy system: In a 3-story deep holding pit, natural microbes break down the manure and release methane. The gas feeds into steel tanks where corrosive compounds (ex: hydrogen sulfide) are removed.
- The BioEnergy/PG&E contract: 3 billion cubic feet of gas/year.

The basic idea. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
Zerwer, PG&E: "There are nearly 2 million dairy cows in California…"