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Assessing the Role of Renewable Energy Policies in Landfill Gas Energy Projects

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Listed:
  • Li, Shanjun
  • Kyul Yoo, Han
  • Shih, Jhih-Shyang

    (Resources for the Future)

  • Palmer, Karen

    (Resources for the Future)

  • Macauley, Molly K.

    (Resources for the Future)

Abstract

Methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas and has a global warming potential at least 28 times as high as carbon dioxide. Municipal solid waste landfills are reported to be the third-largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States, responsible for 18 percent of emissions in 2011. Capturing landfill gas for use as an energy source for electricity or heat produces alternative energy as well as environmental benefits. A host of federal and state policies encourage the development of landfill-gas-to-energy projects. Our research provides the first systematic economic assessment of the role these policies play in adoption decisions. Results suggest that renewable portfolio standards and investment tax credits have contributed to the development of these projects, accounting for 13 of 277 projects during our data period from 1991 to 2010. These policy-induced projects have led to 12.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide–equivalent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a net benefit of $52.59 million.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Shanjun & Kyul Yoo, Han & Shih, Jhih-Shyang & Palmer, Karen & Macauley, Molly K., 2014. "Assessing the Role of Renewable Energy Policies in Landfill Gas Energy Projects," RFF Working Paper Series dp-14-17, Resources for the Future.
    • Handle: RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-14-17
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Luigi Ranieri & Giorgio Mossa & Roberta Pellegrino & Salvatore Digiesi, 2018. "Energy Recovery from the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste: A Real Options-Based Facility Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-15, January.
    2. Cudjoe, Dan & Han, Myat Su & Chen, Weiming, 2021. "Power generation from municipal solid waste landfilled in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    3. Joshi, Girdhar & Pandey, Jitendra K. & Rana, Sravendra & Rawat, Devendra S., 2017. "Challenges and opportunities for the application of biofuel," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 850-866.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    renewable energy; landfill methane; renewable portfolio standards; investment tax credit;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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