| Methane is generated within 6 to eighteen months | | | | energy resource. This is also significant for landfill |
| after solid waste is put in a landfill. Peak production | | | | gas to energy projects as when released into the |
| starts roughly a year after deposit in most | | | | air, it's not only a greenhouse gas it also |
| established landfills, but serious volumes of the gas | | | | contributes to local air pollution. |
| can be generated for 20 or more years after | | | | Many countries have their own schemes to inspire |
| that when a landfill gas to energy scheme is | | | | renewable energy production life landfill gas to |
| installed, depending on the individual landfill traits. | | | | energy projects. These Green Certificates ( |
| Generating energy from landfill gas in such landfill | | | | sometimes called green tags or replaceable |
| gas to energy projects doesn't only mean | | | | energy certificates, and in the United |
| decreasing its jeopardy towards our climate ; it | | | | Kingdom'ROCS' ) act like a claim check on each |
| also serves then as a substitute for fossil fuels, | | | | megawatt hour of replaceable electricity delivered |
| for example natural gas. | | | | to the grid, and they apply to landfill gas to |
| Such a waste-to-energy ( landfill gas to energy ) | | | | energy schemes. Such green power when |
| project is a demonstration of how we, as a | | | | acquired by the electricity user supports |
| society, can transform long-held climate changing | | | | renewable energy development. |
| practices into more environmentally sustainable | | | | This is in addition to the more traditional |
| actions. In the US and many other states this is | | | | categories of power plants. |
| exactly what's been done. For example, there are | | | | For that reason, energy recovery from methane, |
| way more than 400 landfill gas to energy power | | | | where economically reasonable, is of considerable |
| projects today in the united states already. The | | | | benefit to the environment. |
| reason being because even lining and capping will | | | | For an example of the benefits of landfill gas to |
| not stop a large amount of the gas escaping. | | | | energy, the US Environmental Protection Agency's |
| Methane is around 21 times more powerful than | | | | dump Methane Outreach Program has reportedly |
| carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas and allowing | | | | aided in developing over 325 landfill gas to energy |
| methane escape to the atmosphere would have | | | | projects in the past 12 years. These have |
| significant global warming implications. | | | | reduced methane emissions by about ninety million |
| Methane also has a short, ten year, atmospheric | | | | metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Across the nation |
| life. Methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas | | | | there are reports that there were more than 400 |
| and for that reason is a key contributor to world | | | | landfill gas to energy projects in operation in 2006 |
| climate change. | | | | alone, these projects provided over ten bill kilo |
| In several less developed nations methane | | | | watt hours of electricity and seventy five bln |
| emissions from landfills represent a lost | | | | cubic feet of landfill gas to corporate and state |
| opportunity to capture and use a important | | | | end users. |