+ Organic Waste: Tackling Climate Change and Building a Sustainable Energy Future Joanna D. Underwood President, Energy Vision 5 th SWEEP-Net Regional Conference, Tunis, TUNISIA April 16, 2015

+ Energy Vision Mission : to advance global collaboration in adoption of the low-carbon, renewable energy sources, transport fuels, and new technologies needed for a sustainable future Program: Research of alternative vehicle fuels to end reliance on petroleum-based fuels, publication of reports on best options, newsletters, media, & educational outreach Impacts : EV team reports identified fossil natural gas – and then even better “renewable natural gas” (RNG) made from waste - as most promising fuels for heavy duty fleets Inspired trend of truck/bus shifts to natural gas in the U.S. Building awareness of U.S. policy, business, and solid waste leaders of RNG fuel as leading transportation strategy for tackling climate change EV’s Step-by-Step Guide to converting organic wastes into fuel, used in regional workshops, leading to expanding initiatives

+ What is the Value of Organic Waste? IT IS NOT “WASTE”! As organics break down, they release methane “biogases” which can be collected and refined. Biogas fuel is clean and chemically similar to fossil gas (CH4) but requires NO drilling The biosolids from organic wastes are valuable as compost or as soil amendments

+ What are the Organics Sources? Landfills Farm & Dairy Manures Commercial Food Waste Markets, Restaurants, Hotels etc. Wastewater Treatment Plants

+ How Can Biogases/Bio-Solids be Used? Biogases can generate heat or power plants on-site Refined biogases (removing moisture, CO2 & impurities), become“renewable natural gas” (RNG) fuel, that can be used like fossil gas to cook, heat, generate electricity, or power vehicles! Biosolids (remaining after gas extraction) can be used as high quality compost or soil amendments.

+ RNG Fuel: Optimal Transportation Climate Change Strategy Fossil and RNG fuel are the only options to diesel for medium/heavy duty fleets. Fossil gas cuts diesel Greenhouse Gases 25% on a life cycle basis; RNG cuts them 90% or more. – CA Air Resources Board

+ Waste to Fuel: Five Steps Renewable Natural Gas: How is it Made?

+ An Emerging Waste-to-Fuel Industry Converts Landfill Gases to Fuel: Waste Management, Republic Waste Services, Rumpke and other waste companies have landfill gas projects in 8 states producing fuel for more than 500 refuse trucks and 143 transit buses. Aria Energy (WI) owns and operates 35 landfill gas to energy projects in the US and one converting landfill gas to RNG vehicle fuel Refines Biogas: BioCNG selects/ adapts gas refinement systems Builds Anaerobic Digesters: Quasar Energy Group (OH) builds digesters for processing a mix of commercial and municipal organic wastes. Its14 facilities process 700,000 tons of waste/year & have created 125 jobs. Designs Natural Gas Vehicle Engines : Westport Innovations (Vancouver) and Cummins Westport (IN) pioneered in natural gas engine technologies used by virtually every major truck producer. Volvo and Mack Refuels Natural Gas Vehicles: Clean Energy Renewables, a Division of Clean Energy Fuels (CA), the largest provider of U.S. natural gas refueling infrastructure, specializes in obtaining RNG for fleets. Plans/Finances: Baker Tilly, banks, engineering firms

+ RNG:12 Operational Projects in the U.S. Waste SiteLocationProject Lead(s)Vehicles Fueled Altamont LandfillAltamont, CAWaste Management/Linde NA300 refuse trucks Columbus BioEnergy Digester Columbus, OHquasar energy group25+ vehicles Fair Oaks DairyFair Oaks, INFair Oaks/AmpCNG42 milk trucks Janesville Wastewater Plant Janesville, WICity of Janesville/BioCNG, LLC40+ vehicles by 2020 Riverview LandfillRiverview, MICity of Riverview/BioCNG, LLC40 vehicles by 2020 Rodefeld LandfillDane County, WIDane County/BioCNG, LLC25-30 vehicles Rumpke LandfillCincinnati, OHRumpke/Clean Fuels Ohio10 refuse trucks Sacramento Bio- Digester Sacramento, CACleanWorld/Atlas Disposal20 refuse trucks + City vehicles Sauk Trail Hills Landfill Canton, MIRepublic Services/Clean Energy Renewable Fuels NA (offsite refueling) Seminole Road Landfill Dekalb County, GAEnergy Systems Group/ Dekalb County Sanitation 70 refuse trucks St. Landry Parish Landfill Beggs, LASt. Landry Parish/BioCNG, LLC20+ vehicles Cedar Hills LandfillTacoma, WAPierce Transit/Puget Sound Energy/ 143 Transit Buses

+ Fair Oaks Dairy (Indiana) Manure from 11,500 cows makes 1.5 million gals/year of RNG for 42 long-haul trucks delivering 300,000 gals/day of milk for processing in 3 States: Michigan, Kentucky & Tennessee.

+ St. Landry Parish, (Louisiana) $750,000 project extracting gases from its landfill, making RNG fuel to displace 175 diesel gallons a day for its police fleet & other municipal vehicles

+ Sacramento California: 1 st Closed- Loop Food Waste System in the U.S. Public/private partnership/$12 million investment & an economic success Diverts 40,000 tons of food waste from landfill Displaces 700,000 gallons of diesel a year Creates 16 permanent green jobs Cuts 5,800 tons of greenhouse gases a year Produces Municipal tax revenues of $1.1 million a year Has sales of high value organic soil amendments

+ Exploring Project Opportunities Locally Public Private Partnerships - key to success A singular resource: EV’s Guide: Converting Organic Wastes into Vehicle Fuel: A Step by Step Guide for Communities

+ Tunisia: A Place of Opportunity 9 Large (nearly full) Landfills 70% of MSW is organic waste Need for high and low-level jobs (15.2% unemployment) Heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels at high subsidized cost Article 45 of the new Constitution stipulates the right to a healthy and balanced environment and the right to participate in the protection of the climate

+ Conclusions RNG: the Best Climate Change Strategy for Transportation. Supportive energy and environmental policy and private sector investment can turn one of the world’s major waste burdens & sources of anthropogenic methane into a clean close to carbon-free fuel using commercial technology RNG: the only sustainable fuel to displace diesel in heavy-duty fleets. Many other renewables exist for power generation. Growing a Waste-to-Fuel Industry is an economic winner: displaces diesel with a modestly priced, secure, homegrown fuel; cuts waste disposal costs, creates permanent high and low level jobs, while protecting our environment.

+ Joanna D. Underwood