Dennis D. Keiser

Edition Date: 07-05-2006

A recent editorial titled "This Gold Rush is a Boondoggle," published in the Post Register newspaper out of Idaho Falls, draws into question the merits of ethanol production as a means to solve this nation's energy problems. The author's arguments of government subsidies, government-mandated use, net energy produced, and using valuable arable lands to grow corn for ethanol production are legitimate concerns. His central premise, that due to land use restrictions, ethanol production can never provide significant energy replacement for fossil fuel, is most likely legitimate.

However, there may be a renewable energy source that is readily available that might have a significant impact as an alternate source for fossil fuels. And that source is the conversion of animal waste into methane gas, which is essentially natural gas.

According to information provided by the USDA, over 2 billion tons of animal waste are produced annually in this country. Most of the waste is produced by cows; however, swine and poultry are also significant contributors. Technology has developed to the point where animal waste processed with anaerobic digesters can reliably produce significant quantities of methane gas. Estimates place those annual quantities at greater than 20,000 cubic feet per animal unit (an animal unit = 1,000 lb. cow) based on sometimes questionable math. This suggests that if all generated animal waste is processed, it would produce each year over 3 trillion cubic feet of methane gas, or 14 percent of the nation's annual natural gas usage.

The overriding question is: How much waste can be economically converted into methane gas and be made available to natural gas consumers?

Our company, Intrepid Technology and Resources Inc., has built a commercial demonstration plant at Whitesides Dairy north of Rupert to get a handle on that question and related issues. Here, we are processing manure from 1,000 open-lot dairy cows into methane gas using an anaerobic digester. The plant's primary purpose is to determine if animal waste can be effectively and economically gathered, processed through a digester to make gas and meet quality standards so it can be sold to natural gas users. This 18-month-old plant is the only operating digester in Idaho processing animal waste.

Results from the operation of the Whitesides Dairy plant have been encouraging. We have shown that animal waste can be converted into salable natural gas. In the next few weeks, we will be placing clean gas into the Intermountain Gas Co. pipeline for distribution to local natural gas consumers. When that happens, Whitesides Dairy and the state of Idaho will be the first to accomplish this in North America. This event could provide the impetus for the nation to begin collecting this valuable waste product and compel it into becoming a significant replacement for dwindling natural gas supplies.

Dennis Keiser is the chief executive officer of Intrepid Technology and Resources Inc. in Idaho Falls. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and a Ph.D. in mining engineering.