WASHINGTON – June 30, 2025 – As National Dairy Month wraps up, the American Biogas Council (ABC) today released new data highlighting the rapid growth in methane capture through the use of biogas systems at U.S. dairy farms. Biogas systems trap the methane that is produced naturally when dairy manure breaks down, allowing this gas to be used for fuel. This renewable fuel is then used to power and heat homes, fuel vehicles, and generate electricity. The process of recycling manure in this way also reduces odors and produces organic fertilizer that helps support soil health.
Over the past five years, the number of methane-capturing biogas systems at American dairies has more than doubled, with overall biogas capture rising by 130%. Almost $3 billion in capital has been invested in agricultural communities over this period, with facilities opening in 2024 alone representing investments of $1.1 billion.
As of June 2025, 471 biogas capture systems operate on dairy farms in the U.S. These systems recycle the manure from approximately 2.3 million dairy cows, putting about 15 billion gallons of cow manure to beneficial use. Biogas systems currently produce about 144,454 cubic feet per minute of biogas, enough energy capacity to power 615,000 homes each year. In total, these systems trap the equivalent of nearly one million tons of methane each year that would otherwise escape to the atmosphere.
“The great progress by our dairy farmers in trapping a waste gas and putting it to beneficial use is something all Americans can celebrate,” said ABC Executive Director Patrick Serfass. “Biogas systems help improve our food system by providing nutrient-rich, odor-free fertilizers, increasing farm sustainability, and helping to keep air and water clean in rural communities.”
To date, just 14% of all potential dairy biogas capture facilities in the U.S. have been built. The ABC estimates at least 2,980 additional dairy farms could add methane-capturing biogas systems to their operations. If all of those potential dairy biogas capture systems were built out, the sector would see a four-fold increase in energy output, equal to 201.1 MMBtus – or enough energy to meet the electricity needs of 2.6 million U.S. households every year.
At the state level, Wisconsin currently leads with the highest potential for new dairy biogas capture systems to be developed, with 561 potential new sites that could be added to the 54 currently in operation. California, which currently leads in overall dairy biogas capture, would more than double its current production of energy and continue to lead the nation in overall biogas system energy output.
For a closer look at U.S. dairy farm biogas capture, you can find more information and explore an interactive state-by-state biogas map here.
For more information, visit americanbiogascouncil.org.
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