James Doucett, Director Clean Energy Results Program MassDEP

Clean Energy Results Program CERP – What is it? MassDEP promoting clean energy projects at sites MassDEP regulates Landfills Contaminated sites/brownfields Wastewater treatment and drinking water treatment facilities Water supplies Coordination with other agencies on clean energy projects (DOER, MassCEC, DAR, EPA)

Clean Energy Results Program Types of clean energy projects MassDEP involved with: Solar PV Wind Combined heat and power (CHP) Energy efficiency projects (pumps, variable speed motors, etc.) In-conduit hydro Anaerobic digestion (AD) Biomass Renewable thermal

Focus on Organics What is going on with organics? Where are organics going now? Where will organics go in the future?

2010 Solid Waste Master Plan Goals Reduce solid waste disposal by 2 million tons/year by 2020 Reduce disposal of organics (food waste) by 350,000 tons per year Develop infrastructure to support organics diversion Develop 250,000–300,000 tpy of processing capacity and supporting collection infrastructure 5

Why focus on food waste/organics? Simply put – there’s a lot of it out there! 2010 MSW disposal = 4.7 M tons Food waste & other organics >20% of the 4.7 M tons, or >1 million tons per year Running out of disposal capacity as landfills close We need to reduce reliance on disposal facilities 6

Benefits of AD Opportunity to digest organics and generate clean energy, and/or compost to produce soil amendments & fertilizers. Waste management solutions for: dairy manure & wastes wastewater residuals businesses & institutions (i.e., food processors, large institutional cafeterias, etc.). Reduces reliance on disposal capacity. Utilize excess capacity at WWTP digesters 7

2010 Capacity for Organics Farm-based and commercial food waste diversion (~70,000 tons per year) 70 composting operations registered with Dept. of Agricultural Resources Commercial composting Food recovery programs Rendering 200 municipal and private leaf and yard waste compost sites 8

2010 Anaerobic Digestion Capacity 6 Wastewater Treatment Plants (4 use energy) 4 Food Processors (effluent pre-treatment) 2 Dairy Farms (AD under construction)

2013 Waste Characterization Data 10

Diversion of Organics Multi-faceted approach to organics management: Food recovery first (food pantries, etc.) Waste food and other organics diversion from disposal to: Animal Feed Composting Anaerobic Digestion with energy recovery

Stakeholders Turning food waste into energy involves numerous stakeholders: Municipalities Organics generators Private sector waste management businesses State agencies Multiple state agencies have roles to play Coordination is critical: Leverage or modify pre-existing regulations, policies and programs Ensure grant and loan programs are targeted to right audience

Location of Food Waste Generators 13 From 2010 Master Plan

Encouraging AD What Were the Problems? No regulatory “home” for AD No allowance for Wastewater Treatment Plants to accept organics in addition to sludge Were there sufficient incentives? Was there a sufficient supply of organic materials? If an organics waste ban was issued, would there be an outcry by those affected? 15

Approach to Encouraging AD Mix of Regulatory Changes and Incentives: Regulations and Policies Solid waste siting regulations Wastewater treatment facility regulations Solid waste waste ban regulations Waste ban guidance and policies Incentives Grant and loan programs administered by MassDEP, MassCEC, DOER and DAR

MassDEP Regulations Revisions to SW Siting Regulations Treat AD more like recycling or composting than solid waste Establish appropriate permitting pathway and standards Two permit levels based on 100 tpd threshold General Permit Recycling, Composting or Conversion Permit Only source-separated organic materials Design & operations info Vector/odor control Contingency plans Products/residuals Siting Co-digestion of Sludge and Food Waste not at WWTP Requires a Solid Waste Site Assignment

MassDEP Regulations Revisions to Waste Water Treatment Facility Regulations Allow WWTP to manage food waste in digesters Requires plan approval by DEP Organic Waste Ban Regulation Effective Oct. 1, 2014 Applies to generators of > 1 ton/week ~1700 entities affected Must separate food waste, vegetative material at the source Does not apply to wastewater residuals Does not apply to residences

Waste Ban Guidance Issued 1/14 Commercial Organic Materials Waste Ban Guidance for Businesses, Institutions & Haulers Your Business & The Waste Bans: What You Need to Know Your Municipality & the Waste Bans: Compliance Guide for Towns & Cities Property Managers & the Waste Bans: What You Need to Know 19

The Organics Ban The organics ban went into effect on 10/1/14 Large percentage of organics already being diverted Tremendous amount of outreach by MassDEP recycling program to prepare for the ban Very successful rollout of the ban Significant amount of positive press coverage has helped get the word out Little to no opposition to the organics ban Many generators (groceries, schools, etc.) already diverting Realizing cost savings on disposal

Production Incentives 2002 Renewable Portfolio Standard, RECs 2008 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (CHP) 2009 “Virtual” Net Metering for Farm AD 2012 “Virtual” Net Metering for all AD (up to 2 MW) 2014 Raised the Net Metering Caps

Grant and Loan Opportunities 2006 Renewable Energy Trust grants 2009 MassSave CHP grants (DOER, Electric Distribution Companies) 2011 Sustainable Materials Recovery Program municipal grants (MassDEP) 2011 Commonwealth Organics-to-Energy grants (MassCEC) Funded a number of feasibility studies 2012 Recycling Loan Fund – Food Waste priority (MassDEP)

Technical Support Department of Agricultural Resources Energy Manager/USDA Liaison DEP Recycling Works Centralized web resources Timely roundtables Digestate issues WWTP AD study grantees

Where Are We Now? 3 farm ADs operational, all taking SSO 1 farm AD under development 1 AD at a public landfill has started operation 1 AD at a public landfill has signed a lease 2 stand-alone AD in permitting 1 supermarket distribution center AD permitted and will begin construction soon Deer Island and GLSD WWTPs looking to pilot co- digestion Several WWTP’s seriously investigating adding AD/SSO

Where are We Now? Power output from AD = ~1.4 MW Organics diversion to AD = ~62,000 tpy Potential power output from AD = ~23 MW by 2020 Potential organics diversion to AD = ~500,000 tpy by 2020

Organics Diversion Wins Increase food donations for those in need Divert organics from disposal Reduce GHG production Generate clean, renewable power with AD Reduce cost of disposal Produce useful products such as fertilizer or compost Generate jobs For farms, happy cows!

Challenges Some concern regarding feedstock availability Cost of projects vs. benefits Education/community response

Questions? James Doucett Clean Energy Results Program Director MA Dept of Environmental Protection

Photo: Randy Jordan Barstow’s Longview Farm