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Gasification and Renewable Energy

Gasification of certain waste materials to generate electricity and marketable raw materials can qualify as a source of renewable energy in many states. Renewable energy is defined by the U.S. Energy Information Administration as an energy source that is regenerative or virtually inexhaustible. The United States, as the largest user of energy in the world, is interested in generating more renewable energy from a variety of sources.

To promote the generation of renewable energy, the federal government and many state governments have set consumption standards for themselves and for the public. The federal government plans to purchase 2.5 percent of all the electricity it uses from renewable sources by 2005. This policy tool is called a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). Each state that has an RPS also has its own definition of renewable energy that fits its needs and goals. For example, some states have included various Waste to Energy (WTE) applications. In these states, the gasification of municipal solid waste or biomass (agricultural waste, animal waste, and wood waste) may qualify as renewable energy. See the table below for a list of states with an RPS and their list of qualifying renewables.

View a list of state incentives for generating energy from waste.

RPS State Definitions of Qualifying Renewables Exit EPA
State*
Target
Qualifying Renewables (among others)
Digester Gas
Biomass
Landfill Gas
Fuel Cells
Solar (Photovoltaic)
Wind
Arizona 1.1% by 2012
 
X
X
X
 
X
X
California 20% by 2017
X
X
X
X
 
X
X
Colorado (PDF) (35 pp, 1.2MB, About PDF) - see page 18 10% by 2015
 
X
X
X
X
X
X
Connecticut 10% by 2010
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hawaii 10% by 2011
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Illinois 5% by 2010
 
X
X
 
 
X
X
Iowa (PDF)** (27 pp, 2.1MB, About PDF) - see page 14 105 MW currently (1.2% est.)
X
X
X
 
 
X
X
Maine 30% currently
X
 
X
X
X
X
X
Maryland 7.5% by 2019
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Massachusetts 4% by 2009
 
X
X
X
X
X
X
Minnesota*** 10% by 2015
X
 
X
 
X
X
X
Nevada 15% by 2013
X
X
X
X
 
X
X
New Jersey 6.5% by 2008
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
New Mexico 10% by 2011
 
X
X
X
X
X
X
New York 25% by 2013  
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pennsylvania 8% by 2010
X
X
X
X
 
X
X
Rhode Island 16% by 2019
 
 
X
 
X
X
X
Texas**** 2,000 MW by 2009 (3% est.)
 
X
X
X
 
X
X
Wisconsin 2.2% by 2011
 
 
X
 
X
X
X

* The links in this column exit EPA's website. Exit EPA
** Does not require that generation of 105 MW (megawatts) occur in Iowa, only purchase.
*** Voluntary.
**** New generation in Texas only.
Data estimated using Table 5.4.B and Power Plant Inventory (PDF) (343 pp, 3.3MB) from the US Energy Information Administration.

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