Biogas -Waste Efficiency in Salem, OR

Biogas -Waste Efficiency in Salem, OR

        A new biogas facility at a wastewater treatment plant in Salem Oregon, the Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant, is being built to provide a clean source of energy. This energy production will save the Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant and allow it to produce its own energy while saving 5,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases from being released. Salem’s mayor, Chuck Bennet, stated “by turning waste into energy, we’re powering the plant, saving money and protecting our environment. . . taking pollutants out of the waste stream helps reduce Salem’s impact on the natural environment”. What the plant is doing right, and what Mayor Bennet identified, is the efficiency of turning waste that is inevitably produced by any kind of activity, and turning it back into a useful product, in this case, energy.

 I would go as far as to say they found a potential Pareto Improvement. While the plant will cost a total of $10.9 million, the majority of the funds were derived from diverted existing utility bills. The plant will also save the facility $300,000 per year and should be operational for 50+ years. Just from a monetary standpoint, it appears to make a Pareto Improvement, but it also will have the benefits of being clean and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, if all potential waste that could be used in biogas was used, it would be the equivalent of eliminating the emission of 11 million vehicles.  Therefore, the benefits of this plant appear to be greater than the cost and a Pareto Improvement appears feasible.

References:

 Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). (2017, October 3). Fact Sheet - Biogas: Converting Waste to Energy. Retrieved November 28, 2020, from https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-biogasconverting-waste-to-energy

Woodworth, W. (2020, November 15). Here's how biogas could save Salem money and cut pollution. Salem Statesman Journal. Retrieved November 22, 2020, from https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2020/11/15/salem-new-willow-lake-biogas-facility-decrease-pollution-energy-costs/6287849002/