HB2291: Renewable energy from our landfills

When I began studying the landfill methane development issue in the interim, I couldn't find any downside. This bill (HB2291) would give incentives to companies to come into the state, extract poisonous methane from our landfills, and use it as a source of renewable energy. This should please environmentalists and provide for economic development (and put some of the most unsightly acreage in our state to good use).

Here's how it works: methane is generated by the natural decomposition of materials deposited in our landfills. Landfills are the largest human related source of methane in the United States, accounting for 34% of all methane emissions. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, more than 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide emissions. It can be extracted, treated, and sold as a substitute for natural gas, which is one of our primary sources of energy. If left alone, it can become an air pollutant and can otherwise be harmful to the landfill area. Additionally, finding and using alternative sources of energy just makes common sense if we are to be good stewards of the land. This Act would be vital to both our health and economic well-being.

In an effort to create jobs and attract businesses to help us deal with methane in our landfills (and turn it into a profitable opportunity for many), this bill creates a tax credit of thirty percent of the cost of buildings, equipment, and licenses for intellectual property necessary to manufacture landfill methane.

The picture to the right gives an illustration of the process:

(1) our trash is collected and delivered to the local landfill;

(2) decomposition of the trash causes the release of gases into the air and soil;

(3) pipes under the landfill would collect the gases (mainly methane);

(4) gases are pumped to an engine that is built on the site;

(5) the engine powers a generator; and

(6) the generator creates electricity, which is then added to Arkansas's power supply.

This bill, which I filed yesterday, could've been assigned to any number of committees: Joint Energy, Public Health, or Ag./Forestry/Economic Development just to name a few. It was assigned to Public Health and should be on that committee's March 6 agenda.