A) Excess food waste

Organics diversion according to legislation mandates

In April 2019, New York State (NYS) legislators passed the NYS Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law which requires large generators of food scraps (more than 2 tons per week, on average) to redirect this biomass for beneficial use. Diversion of this waste stream should follow the EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy and, if suitable, first be donated to food banks, soup kitchens, and shelters. If the food is expired and pre-consumer, it should be added to animal feed (EPA Wasted Food Report, 2018). If it doesn’t meet regulations for these two categories, it must be diverted to organic recycling as long as there is a facility within 25-miles of the point of origin. Anaerobic digestion falls within the EPA’s next hierarchical category of ‘industrial uses,’ and the NY legislation specifically includes ‘organics recycling on-site via in vessel anaerobic digestion’ as an acceptable method of managing this waste (NYS Food Law, 2019). Therefore, this law presents an opportunity to apply localized biogas production throughout the Hudson Valley as a means to meet these stipulations. This solution eliminates a significant portion of otherwise necessary transport activity while conserving the food’s inherent energy and nutrients within the local economy. In this way, these compounds can be recycled into the local ecosystem and shared throughout communities.

Watershed restoration

Ecosystems overburdened with the invasive water chestnut

NYS has been exposed to many invasive plant species which have negatively impacted water ecosystems along with recreation and tourism. Water chestnut, or Trapa natans (FIGURE A), is native to Eurasia and Africa and was introduced into the US in the mid-1800s as an ornamental plant. Today, the NYS DEC has recorded its presence in 42 out of 62 counties throughout the state. This plant thrives in freshwater lakes, ponds, slow-moving streams, and rivers by establishing a long root network that anchors to the bottom of the waterbody (DEC, Water Chestnut). Each year, public taxes help fund management and removal efforts to temporarily reclaim some water access for recreational use and local biodiversity. Unfortunately, these actions have not been able to mitigate the plant’s prevalence as it continues to overburden priority water bodies (DEC Invasive, 2018).

Anaerobic digestion offers an innovative solution to this problem by utilizing Trapas natans as a feedstock for biogas production. This alternative management concept for the Hudson Valley can serve as an economic driver for ecosystem restoration efforts while offering a renewable and energy efficient installation. According to the American Biogas Council (ABC), this species produces almost 50% more methane than cow manure. In addition, the process extracts excess phosphorus and nitrogen compounds which have eutrophied the Hudson River watershed and compounded this species' overgrowth. These nutrients can be returned to the agricultural sector and simultaneously create a pathway for biodiversity recovery by permitting the restoration of native plants and rehabilitating the river’s dissolved oxygen levels.

NYS Climate Act

Achieving NY’s CLCPA renewable initiatives aimed to mitigate climate change

Energy discussions in NYS have become focused around climate change mitigation strategies as representatives and activists make substantial efforts to reduce dependencies on fossil fuels and implement new renewable sources. In 2019, the NYS Legislature passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA, or ‘Climate Act’) which introduced an aggressive climate change mitigation agenda. The declared objectives include an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 (relative to 1990 levels), 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, 70% renewable energy by 2030, and a reduction in 22 million tons of carbon through energy efficiency and electrification (NYS CLCPA 2019). These Hudson Valley Circular Biogas System proposals seek to meet this ambitious challenge through avoiding current transportation and landfilled emissions, producing renewable energy, and sequestering carbon.

New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) reports that nearly 90% of the energy produced in the upstate region north and west of the capital is already derived from carbon-free resources while in downstate regions, this portion only represents about 30% (NYISO, 2019). Therefore, these biogas solutions actively address climate action throughout the greater Hudson Valley where mitigation efforts matter most. In addition, bioenergy serves a primary role in the IPCC’s 1.5°C emission reduction pathway. Thus, these circular systems also align with international strategies to reduce anthropogenic emissions and facilitate a green energy shift.

Environmental justice

Catalyzing efforts to revitalize our impoverished communities

The burdens of inequality, environmental hazards, and income disparity have affected many demographics across NYS. In response, the CLCPA has also established a Climate Justice Working Group to help identify disadvantaged areas and take action to repair and revitalize these respective communities. Under this legislation, environmental justice regions will be allocated at least 35% of the benefits associated with NY’s clean energy and efficiency initiatives. An Environmental Justice Advisory Group is set to advise state agencies on how to embed this target goal into decision making while a corresponding Just Transition Group will prepare a comprehensive workforce development program. The Hudson Valley Circular System proposals are presented with consideration for this important factor and will help facilitate NY’s commitment to this goal. The region of focus covers approximately 7,700 mi² (~20,000 km), and is home to over 2.6 million people, and spans 11 counties north of NYC; Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Delaware, Greene, Orange, Rockland, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. Each proposal is nearby or within an identified environmental justice area, and these installations prescribe a series of roadmaps that inject investment capital into these communities. By aligning with key stakeholders, Hudson Valley Biogas is pursuing meaningful treatment of all people, regardless of race, income, national origin or color and maximizing these efforts with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.

Our vision

Just as the Hudson Valley gave birth to the modern American environmental movement in the 1960s, we are again positioned to design a system of prosperity and sustainability to inspire the nation. With renewable energies as the primary focus for the future, we have the opportunity to consider new and innovative technologies that will propel and encourage others for generations to come. We can join together and share promises of hope, love, and security for the future. May you be inspired.

“Kunnskap for en bedre verden” - “Knowledge for a better world” - NTNU