California embraces an udder way to make electricity (manure methane)

[jpak]

http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=5920

California’s two largest investor-owned utilities -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison – have been told to buy electricity made indirectly from manure on the state’s dairies.

The action this week by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) also orders the companies to pay a fair market price for power generated by smaller renewable energy generators – those smaller than 1.5 megawatts.

“This is a tremendous victory for Californians, who will now have greater access to clean, renewable energy generated by the state’s 1.7 million cows,” says Ashley Boren, executive director of Sustainable Conservation...

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If methane digesters were installed on all California dairies, they could generate enough electricity to power approximately 120,000 homes and strengthen rural economies, says Sustainable Conservation.

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[kestrel91316]

1. Yay!!!!

:woohoo:

CA knows how to kick ass and take names!