The four-day 2022 Biogas Americas conference kicked off on May 24 at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas and is set to be the largest event yet for the US biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) industry, with more than 1,000 attendees.
The annual conference and tradeshow is presented by the American Biogas Council (ABC) and provides an opportunity to meet and network with hundreds of like-minded leaders and decision makers across the industry.
“The biogas industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of any kind in the US with growth last year of 40-50 percent,” said Patrick Serfass, executive director of ABC. “The size of this year’s Biogas Americas event reflects that rapid growth, driven by the dual need for domestic renewable energy and an increased interest identifying in solutions to combat climate change.”
Biogas systems recycle waste while also producing renewable energy and soil products that displace fossil fuels. Russia’s war in Ukraine has led to restrained gas supplies in Europe, causing gas and fertiliser prices to skyrocket.
Biogas can play a critical role in abating reliance on foreign sources, creating a domestic, fossil-free source of RNG as well as non-chemical fertiliser and soil amendments, since most nitrogen fertiliser is made using natural gas to extract nitrogen from the air.
Biogas systems are also one of the most effective solutions for waste management. They protect air, water, and soil by recycling organic material, like food waste and manure, into renewable energy and soil products while also reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition, the digested material from biogas systems has been shown to boost crop yields up to 10-30 percent compared to chemical fertilisers.
“Biogas systems do something most other renewable electricity and natural gas sources cannot – recycle the massive volumes of food waste in this country, which make up 30-40 percent of all garbage in the US as well as other organic wastes from farms and water treatment facilities,” said Serfass.
Biogas Americas unites project developers, equipment suppliers, service providers, operators, investors, utilities, policymakers, and anyone whose success depends on the growth and profitability of biogas as a resource. Robust programming will include conversations around biogas opportunities in agriculture, monetising dairy sustainability, food waste, renewable natural gas, policy issues and more.
A sample of the top speaking organisations includes: Generate Capital, National Pork Board, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, WM (Waste Management), Chevron, several utilities like National Grid and SoCalGas, Newtrient, Generate Capital, Trillium Energy, Archaea Energy, Clean Energy, Montrose Environmental Group and many more plus Nevada State Senator Dr Pat Spearman.
Largest ever gathering of US biogas industry leaders convenes
