Baltimore Gas and Electric Company gained approval to use biogas — gas derived from organic sources such as food waste and lawn clippings — in its distribution system, making it the first utility to do so in the state. The Maryland Public Service Commission approved BGE’s request in late August to supply biogas or “renewable natural gas” (RNG) to its distribution system through an interconnection pipe. “This first RNG project in Maryland [will] jump-start a new industry in Maryland, contributing to economic growth, managing waste streams, and bringing a cleaner, renewable energy source to our community,” BGE’s senior vice president of governmental and external affairs Rodney Oddoye said in a statement.
The biogas will come from the state’s largest anaerobic digester located on the Maryland Food Center Authority campus in Jessup, one of the largest food terminals on the East Coast. It is operated by Bioenergy Devco, a global company that designs, builds and operates anaerobic digestion facilities, with 240 plants across the world. Bioenergy Devco expects to start fully operating in Jessup by early spring of 2022.
Large food distributors in Maryland usually send their food waste to landfills, where microorganisms in the waste break down organic material and produce large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that can warm the planet 86 times as much as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Methane also contributes to ground-level ozone, which can lead to asthma and other health problems if inhaled.
To read the full story, visit https://www.marylandmatters.org/2021/10/13/bge-will-be-the-first-utility-in-md-to-use-biogas-from-anaerobic-digesters/.
Author: Elizabeth Shwe, Maryland Matters
Image: Elizabeth Shwe, Maryland Matters