Center for Sustainability and Global Environment, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1710 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, USA.
Environ Sci Technol. 2011 Aug 15;45(16):6735-42. doi: 10.1021/es104227y. Epub 2011 Jul 26.
Livestock husbandry in the U.S. significantly contributes to many environmental problems, including the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). Anaerobic digesters (ADs) break down organic wastes using bacteria that produce methane, which can be collected and combusted to generate electricity. ADs also reduce odors and pathogens that are common with manure storage and the digested manure can be used as a fertilizer. There are relatively few ADs in the U.S., mainly due to their high capital costs. We use the MIT Emissions Prediction and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model to test the effects of a representative U.S. climate stabilization policy on the adoption of ADs which sell electricity and generate methane mitigation credits. Under such policy, ADs become competitive at producing electricity in 2025, when they receive methane reduction credits and electricity from fossil fuels becomes more expensive. We find that ADs have the potential to generate 5.5% of U.S. electricity.
美国的畜牧业对许多环境问题有重大影响，包括甲烷的排放，甲烷是一种强效温室气体（GHG）。厌氧消化器（AD）利用产生甲烷的细菌分解有机废物，这些甲烷可以收集并燃烧以产生电力。AD 还可以减少与粪便储存相关的气味和病原体，而消化后的粪便可以用作肥料。美国的 AD 相对较少，主要是因为其资本成本高。我们使用麻省理工学院排放预测和政策分析（EPPA）模型来测试一项有代表性的美国气候稳定政策对销售电力和产生甲烷减排信用的 AD 采用的影响。在这种政策下，当 AD 获得甲烷减排信用且化石燃料发电变得更加昂贵时，AD 于 2025 年在发电方面具有竞争力。我们发现 AD 有潜力产生美国 5.5%的电力。
