Related to:
Clean Energy Results Program

Anaerobic Digestion & Organics Diversion

In an oxygen-free environment, bacteria can convert organic materials into renewable biogas.
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In this list

Case Studies

Anaerobic Digestion Case Studies
Examples and uses of anaerobic digestion, including agricultural, industrial, and wastewater treatment plants sites.

Financing & Incentives

Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) Municipal Grants
Supports local recycling, composting/organics, reuse, source reduction, program development, and enforcement activities that increase diversion and reduce disposal.
Net Metering Guide
Net metering allows customers to offset their energy use and transfer energy back to their electric companies in exchange for a credit. If you have a solar or another renewable energy facility, and your electric company allows it, you may be able to net meter.
Green Communities Division
Provides grants, technical assistance, and local support from Regional Coordinators to help municipalities reduce energy use and costs by implementing clean energy projects in municipal buildings, facilities, and schools.
State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan Program
Offers affordable loan options to cities and towns to help protect their clean water and drinking water.
MassCEC Commonwealth Organics-To-Energy
Provides funding to educate businesses and communities about organics-to-energy technologies, help communities and businesses evaluate organics-to-energy projects, and support construction of facilities.
Massachusetts Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard
Provides production based incentives for Combined Heat and Power, a technology that is used with anaerobic digestion to convert biogas into electricity.

Requirements & Technical Assistance

310 CMR 16.00: Site Assignment for Solid Waste Facilities
Siting approval requirements for solid waste facilities, including landfills, combustion facilities, and recycling, composting and conversion operations.
AgSTAR: Biogas Recovery in the Agriculture Sector
AgSTAR promotes the use of biogas recovery systems to reduce methane emissions from livestock waste.
Biogas Production
Using sludge from wastewater treatment plants can generate energy using anaerobic digestion that provides both heat and electricity.
Tapping the Energy Potential of Municipal Wastewater Treatment: Anaerobic Digestion and Combined Heat and Power in Massachusetts (PDF 2.29 MB)
Anaerobically digested biosolids from wastewater treatment generate biogas which may be used for heat and electricity. This study provides background information and case studies of biogas production and usage at WWTPs in Massachusetts and nationally.
Map & List of Massachusetts Sites Accepting Diverted Food Material (PDF 901.47 KB)
These facilities can help businesses and institutions comply with the ban on disposal of commercial organics by accepting their food wastes.
Division of Agricultural Conservation and Technical Assistance
Works to advance the conservation and utilization of agricultural resources through preservation, environmental stewardship, technology, technical assistance and education in order to enhance the viability of agricultural enterprises and safeguard natural resources.
Ground Mounted Solar PV Guide (PDF 4.74 MB)
Q & A from DOER, MassDEP and MassCEC
Anaerobic Digestion at Massachusetts Wastewater Treatment Plants
A map highlights the location of publicly owned WWTPs with Operating Anaerobic Digesters and those WWTPs Exploring the Feasibility of Recovering Energy from Organics through Anaerobic Digestion.
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