Will The Stimulus Help Cities Turn Their Trash Into Energy?

With virtually every city in the country pitching ideas to the President in a bid to get a piece of the $800 billion stimulus package, a number of ideas have been laid on the table.  A number of these ideas revolve around renewable energy and achieving energy independence.  While some ideas are not much more than experiments, the impact may actually be beneficial, and a couple of these projects even aim to reduce landfill off-gassing and accumulation.

The first project to be mentioned comes from Beaumont, Texas.  The government of Beaumont is asking for 5 million dollars of stimulus money to create a landfill hydrogen plant.  This plant aims to utilize solar energy to convert methane emitted at landfills into hydrogen and natural gas, which can be used as a source of energy. 

The project would employ fifty people, but draws significant opposition because the process is unproven and largely untested.  It is up to government officials to weigh the possible benefits of the program, considering both the chance of success and the environmental impact if the process is both achievable and economically viable.  The process has been implemented at a pilot plant in Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada and reports both success and a need for further improvement to decrease costs and increase efficiency.

The second project to be mentioned has actually been proposed by a number of cities.  Stamford, Connecticut is one of the cities proposing the idea, and is requesting $50 million dollars while promising 75 new jobs.  The money is being requested to build a biomass gasification plant to convert waste into energy.  Biomass gasification is actually considered one of the most economically and technically convincing possibilities for creating a carbon neutral economy and a renewable source of energy due to the fact that the process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and does not emit greenhouse gases. 

Biomass gasification works by heating landfill waste to create renewable energy.  The process also greatly reduces landfill waste, as the resulting ash occupies only a small percentage of the mass of the original trash.  While the technology still has room for improvements in energy costs to run and maintain, it is an excellent and necessary step toward energy independence.

These are but two of the bills on the table for review by the Federal government.  While each holds its fair share of supporters as well as opposition, it is ultimately in the hands of the United States government to decide if either bill will pass.  As the economy continues to decline, there is hope that the new administration will put considerable attention and funding into alternative energy and that the sheer number of bills regarding various energy technologies will show the government that people are ready to move forward. 

The outcome of the stimulus bill will likely be seen shortly as the administration has been in a hurry to distribute the funding in a rush to stimulate spending and create jobs.  What will remain to be seen for some time, however, is the ultimate level of success and advancement the country makes based on the results of some of the energy forward ideas being pushed through by the stimulus bill.