What is landfill gas, and how is electricity generated from it?
Landfill gas, which consists mainly of methane and carbon dioxide, is produced when organic wastes in landfill sites decay. At landfills over a certain size, the gas must be burned, or flared, in order to reduce the hazard arising from gas buildup. Although landfill gas is primarily a pollutant that needs to be controlled, the methane it contains makes it valuable as a fuel for powering an electric generator. Landfill gas was first used as a fuel in the U.S. during the late 1970s; since then the technology required for its collection and use has developed steadily. This method of producing renewable energy is now regarded as one of the most mature and successful in the field of green power. Does burning landfill gas have other benefits? If methane is released directly into the atmosphere, it is a potent greenhouse gas. In fact, its global warming potential is 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. As mentioned above, landfill gas can be flared (the simplest option), but using it
