Exactly!
There’s a definite regional need for anaerobic digesters.
Iowa is another state that has a lot of large-scale swine feedlots. Disposing of the manure has always been an issue and has led to some feedlots being denied a license partially on the basis that they couldn’t promise a good way of disposing of the manure.
In western Minnesota, there are a lot of turkey and chicken farms and obviously, they produce a lot of dropping, manure, etc. One power plant, in Benson, is fired entirely by turkey droppings. So far, it has proven to be successful.
Click on this link for more info:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18847427/
I respectfully disagree with the scoffers here. I applaud those who seek to use alternative energy sources. Yeah, its not much but the mere fact they are pushing the envelope to try something new means a lot. I want to drill for oil as much as anyone, and think it’s almost criminal that our leaders refuse to drill in ANWR and off-shore, but we need to really push the development of new energy NOW.
Your comment about a “regional need” for digesters got me thinking. Is this the sort of thing that manure (etc.) could be trucked to so that a bunch of producers in a region could dispose of their stuff this way and make electricity at the same time?
IOW, I know it would add to the cost to have to transport the waste, but might it be worthwhile in some cases? And is it doable?