Idaho Looks to Convert Mountains of Manure Into Natural Gas for Vehicles, Homes
By Scott Doggett December 22, 2008
Idaho energy czar Paul Kjellander is hoping to capitalize on more than just the milk emerging from the state's cows.
----------
Steaming mounds of manure like these warm the heart of at least one Boise bureaucrat.
----------
The self-proclaimed "gem state" contains mountains of manure that the head of Idaho's Office of Energy Resources would like to see refined into natural gas for home and vehicular use.
To that end Kjellander is promoting a package of income tax credits, property tax waivers and other incentives in the state Legislature to transform Idaho's southern heartland into a methane Mecca.
The state of Washington already offers sales-tax exemptions for dairies that install "digesters" that convert methane -- the second-worst greenhouse gas behind carbon dioxide -- from cow manure into electricity.
Kjellander and others are also promoting the burning of cow patties to generate electricity for the state's power grid, which could of course supply power for zero-emission electric vehicles.
Agriculture accounts for a third of U.S. methane released into the atmosphere. Other sources include landfills, coal mines and oil refineries, and consideration is being given to put methane from them to good use.
LEAVE A COMMENT
This is news to me and I live in Boise. The landfill near my house already sells methane to the utility and they did it without tax credits.
Idaho is a bit notorious (mostly in a good way) about not extending tax credits for development, so Kjellander will have his hands full lobbying for incentives and exemptions before a state legislature that's already hurting for money.
ADD A COMMENT