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NACWA is pleased to announce the release of Renewable Energy Resources: Banking on Biosolids , a white paper exploring the opportunities for energy recovery and generation from biosolids and biogas. Initiated at the height of the recent debate over energy and climate legislation on Capitol Hill, the paper provides a comprehensive look at the range of options for harnessing the energy potential of biosolids. NACWA will be using this paper in its advocacy efforts to ensure that any relevant federal legislation or regulation considers biosolids a renewable energy source and is sufficiently adaptable so that the resulting policies and regulations can easily encompass new technologies as they are developed.

Background

Congress is currently debating legislation that would require up to 20 percent of electricity to be generated by renewable energy sources by 2020. This interest in renewable energy has been driven by a combination of fuel price spikes, climate change concerns, public awareness, and advancements in renewable energy technologies. Recent policies and project development efforts have been focused primarily on renewable energy sources derived from wind, solar, hydro-electric, geothermal, and biomass. With very few exceptions, federal and state definitions of biomass do not include biosolids despite their widespread availability.

In its work on Capitol Hill, NACWA has been working to ensure that biosolids and biogas derived from the treatment of biosolids are considered renewable energy resources. NACWA has highlighted that the energy value from biosolids can be an important component of the country’s renewable energy portfolio. While numerous technologies provide a means for wastewater utilities to reduce their energy consumption and recover energy by using biosolids, broad and supported application of the technologies is hindered by financial, technological, public perception and awareness, and legislative barriers. By including biosolids and biogas as renewable energy sources, the legislation will remove many of these barriers and provide significant financial incentives for more clean water agencies to tap into this energy resource and provide opportunities for those utilities already putting this resource to beneficial use.

White Paper to Serve as Valuable Advocacy Tool, Member Resource

The Banking on Biosolids white paper discusses the types of energy products that can be produced using biosolids; the technologies used to convert biosolids to energy use; the status of state law to create incentives for the use of biosolids as a renewable energy source; barriers to widespread adoption of these technologies and policies; and recommendations to promote greater use of biosolids as a sustainable, renewable energy resource for the United States. In addition to distributing the paper to the membership, NACWA will use it in its advocacy with EPA and Congressional staff who are working on this issue.