U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced bipartisan legislation to encourage investment in biodigester and nutrient recovery systems, while establishing a market for farmers who already have a surplus of waste materials that can be used for biogas production. Thune and Brown’s bill, the Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Act, will help expand the market for renewable biogas by providing a 30 percent investment tax credit to help offset the upfront costs associated with building biodigester systems. U.S. Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Important to the biogas industry, this tax credit will specifically target non-electricity projects, so costs could plummet for digesters that turn their biogas into RNG or renewable heat, plus systems that use nutrient capture technologies. More >>
