Bioenergy Solutions entrepreneur goes bankrupt

The founder of Bioenergy Solutions has filed for bankruptcy which means hundreds of people will lose their jobs.

David Albers’ business went into the red and means the dairy farm in Fresno County, California, will close. The gas produced from the 5,000 cows used for cheese production at this factory was put through an anaerobic digester, producing enough electricity to power 1,200 homes. The methane gas was collected from the cows’ manure to power the digester, but now this technology will too be left defunct.

Albers is also an attorney, specialising in environmental law, and was concerned about the millions of tonnes of manure that was being produced by cows every year in the US.

Because of his experience in representing dairies and advising them on complying with air regulations, he decided to found Bioenergy Solutions.

However, even though he formerly advised companies on compliance, in 2010 he did not submit an annual report on water discharge from the dairy to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region.

According to documents supplied by the California Pollution Control Financing Authority, the bioenergy facility cost about $3.7 million (€2.9 million), according to California Pollution Control Financing Authority documents.

To recoup costs the dairy is now up for sale for $21.5 million.