PRESS ROOM
News Item
Cow-Manure Gas Coming Soon to Palo Alto
Green gas would add $10 to $15 to average monthly bill, department estimates.
by Becky Trout – Palo Alto Online Staff Central Valley cows may soon be providing gas for some Palo Alto homes and businesses, replacing nonrenewable supplies that are currently piped in from Canada and the Southwest. The cow gas, or biogas, would be available as part of an opt-in natural-gas program patterned after PaloAltoGreen, which supplies solar and wind energy to the city, paid for by those willing to add $10 a month more to their bills. The program is in the "very, very beginning stages," Assistant Utilities Director Jane Ratchye said Thursday. The department began investigating the gas program as part of its long-term plan for the gas utility, cognizant of the community's interest in environmentally friendly energy, Ratchye said. And cows, and their piles of manure, popped up as the most likely renewable source of gas, said Joyce Kinnear, Manager of Utilities Marketing Services. Central Valley dairies and livestock operations generate tons of manure, which releases methane, the primary component of natural gas. Although some companies, such as Pacific Gas & Electric, have been purchasing the methane to convert into electricity – and gas, to a lesser degree – much is still untouched, Kinnear said. If the methane escapes into the atmosphere, it contributes as a greenhouse gas to global climate change, Ratchye said. To get the program up and running, the city would need to contract with a supplier who would be able to route the gas from the dairy into the city's pipes, Ratchye said. Palo Altans could then sign up to purchase cow gas, which the department estimates would add 20 cents per therm to gas costs, or a total of $10 to $15 for an average residence. If the city encounters difficulties with cow gas, it could also explore other sources of biogas, such as landfills, or purchasing offsets to account for natural-gas usage, Ratchye said. The 20 percent of Palo Alto residents who already participate in PaloAltoGreen (the top green-energy program participation rate in the nation) are seen as the primary targets for the proposed service, Ratchye said.
contact: Libby Klitsch at 3Degrees, lklitsch@3degreesinc.com