Hog waste will produce electricity
By: Jake Ratliff, Staff Writer
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: State & National
Registration began earlier this month for a pilot program in which farmers can sell electricity converted from the methane gas generated by hog waste.
The Swine Farm Methane Capture Pilot Program was established by legislation passed by the N.C. General Assembly in July 2007.
More than 200 farms already have registered for the program, said Vernon Cox, technical services section chief for the N.C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation.
"I believe that swine producers are looking for better ways to manage waste while maintaining the profitability of their farm," he said.
According to the legislation, 50 farms will be chosen to participate.
State regulations mandate that 3 percent of the energy sold by power companies must come from renewable sources, said Andy Thompson, spokesman for Duke Energy. That, he said, is part of the reason power companies are interested in biomass sources like hog waste.
Currently the N.C. Utilities Commission is working to determine the minimum price that power companies must pay hog farmers for the electricity they produce, said Kimberly Jones, industry analyst with the N.C. Public Utilities Commission.
The minimum price, she said, would allow hog farmers to break even seven years after they invest in the methane capturing system.
Despite the fact that hog farmers will not make a substantial profit from selling the electricity they produce, many say there is still an incentive for them to participate.
"My perspective is that hog farmers are environmentally responsible people. If there is something they can do to reduce their carbon footprint, they will do it," said Don Butler, director of governmental relations and public affairs for Murphy-Brown LLC.
Murphy-Brown, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, is the world's largest hog producer, owning more than 300 hog farms in North Carolina alone.
"An additional incentive is if they can produce their own electricity and thereby reduce their costs," Butler said.
While the pilot program might be a step in the right direction, some said that hog farmers still have their work cut out for them in the effort to reduce pollution.
"There is a concern that if farmers just focus on methane they will not look at other environmental problems," said Joe Rudek, senior scientist with the N.C. office of the Environmental Defense Fund. He listed ammonia, odor in neighboring communities and runoff from fields sprayed with hog waste as other issues.
He added that revenue from methane capture should be reinvested into other technologies that help hog farmers meet environmental regulations.
"I think there is a very high potential for this to be successful," Rudek said.
Energy companies that choose to buy electricity from hog farmers must do so for a minimum of seven years.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
The Swine Farm Methane Capture Pilot Program was established by legislation passed by the N.C. General Assembly in July 2007.
More than 200 farms already have registered for the program, said Vernon Cox, technical services section chief for the N.C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation.
"I believe that swine producers are looking for better ways to manage waste while maintaining the profitability of their farm," he said.
According to the legislation, 50 farms will be chosen to participate.
State regulations mandate that 3 percent of the energy sold by power companies must come from renewable sources, said Andy Thompson, spokesman for Duke Energy. That, he said, is part of the reason power companies are interested in biomass sources like hog waste.
Currently the N.C. Utilities Commission is working to determine the minimum price that power companies must pay hog farmers for the electricity they produce, said Kimberly Jones, industry analyst with the N.C. Public Utilities Commission.
The minimum price, she said, would allow hog farmers to break even seven years after they invest in the methane capturing system.
Despite the fact that hog farmers will not make a substantial profit from selling the electricity they produce, many say there is still an incentive for them to participate.
"My perspective is that hog farmers are environmentally responsible people. If there is something they can do to reduce their carbon footprint, they will do it," said Don Butler, director of governmental relations and public affairs for Murphy-Brown LLC.
Murphy-Brown, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, is the world's largest hog producer, owning more than 300 hog farms in North Carolina alone.
"An additional incentive is if they can produce their own electricity and thereby reduce their costs," Butler said.
While the pilot program might be a step in the right direction, some said that hog farmers still have their work cut out for them in the effort to reduce pollution.
"There is a concern that if farmers just focus on methane they will not look at other environmental problems," said Joe Rudek, senior scientist with the N.C. office of the Environmental Defense Fund. He listed ammonia, odor in neighboring communities and runoff from fields sprayed with hog waste as other issues.
He added that revenue from methane capture should be reinvested into other technologies that help hog farmers meet environmental regulations.
"I think there is a very high potential for this to be successful," Rudek said.
Energy companies that choose to buy electricity from hog farmers must do so for a minimum of seven years.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
T
posted 3/27/08 @ 10:41 AM EST
Factory farming is inherently unsustainable.
Methane-to-energy policies function simply to green-wash part of the industry while nearby residents face increased risk for respiratory disease coupled with plummeting home values trapping them in areas like Duplin County, NC that are riddled with hog farms. (Continued…)
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