Full Title: Biogas: Rethinking the Midwest's Potential
Author(s): Peter Taglia
Publisher(s): Clean Wisconsin
Publication Date: June 1, 2010
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Policymakers and renewable energy advocates must carefully weigh the costs and benefits of all energy sources, and biogas is no different. Some applications of biogas are most cost-effective at large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which can have large water, air, and environmental footprints. Bioenergy sources like biogas also must be scrutinized for sustainability criteria and ancillary impacts, such as the wildlife benefits or water impacts that may be reduced if a resource is diverted from an existing landscape to bioenergy production. The costs and carbon emission profile of biogas should also be compared to other renewable and non-renewable energy opportunities to determine the degree of public incentives that are warranted for biogas.