ERCOT Issues RFP to Procure Capacity to Alleviate Winter Concerns

Space solar power promises wireless energy from orbital solar satellites via microwave or laser power beaming, using photovoltaics and rectennas. NRL and AFRL advances hint at 24-7 renewable power delivery to Earth and airborne drones.

Key Points

Space solar power beams orbital solar energy to Earth via microwaves or lasers, enabling continuous wireless electricity.

✅ Harvests sunlight in orbit and transmits via microwaves or lasers

✅ Provides 24-7 renewable power, independent of weather or night

✅ Enables wireless power for remote sites, grids, and drones

Earlier this year, a small group of spectators gathered in David Taylor Model Basin, the Navy’s cavernous indoor wave pool in Maryland, to watch something they couldn’t see. At each end of the facility there was a 13-foot pole with a small cube perched on top. A powerful infrared laser beam shot out of one of the cubes, striking an array of photovoltaic cells inside the opposite cube. To the naked eye, however, it looked like a whole lot of nothing. The only evidence that anything was happening came from a small coffee maker nearby, which was churning out “laser lattes” using only the power generated by the system as ambitions for cheap abundant electricity gain momentum worldwide.

The laser setup managed to transmit 400 watts of power—enough for several small household appliances—through hundreds of meters of air without moving any mass. The Naval Research Lab, which ran the project, hopes to use the system to send power to drones during flight. But NRL electronics engineer Paul Jaffe has his sights set on an even more ambitious problem: beaming solar power to Earth from space. For decades the idea had been reserved for The Future, but a series of technological breakthroughs and a massive new government research program suggest that faraway day may have finally arrived as interest in space-based solar broadens across industry and government.

Since the idea for space solar power first cropped up in Isaac Asimov’s science fiction in the early 1940s, scientists and engineers have floated dozens of proposals to bring the concept to life, including inflatable solar arrays and robotic self-assembly. But the basic idea is always the same: A giant satellite in orbit harvests energy from the sun and converts it to microwaves or lasers for transmission to Earth, where it is converted into electricity. The sun never sets in space, so a space solar power system could supply renewable power to anywhere on the planet, day or night, as recent tests show we can generate electricity from the night sky as well, rain or shine.

Like fusion energy, space-based solar power seemed doomed to become a technology that was always 30 years away. Technical problems kept cropping up, cost estimates remained stratospheric, and as solar cells became cheaper and more efficient, and storage improved with cheap batteries, the case for space-based solar seemed to be shrinking.

That didn’t stop government research agencies from trying. In 1975, after partnering with the Department of Energy on a series of space solar power feasibility studies, NASA beamed 30 kilowatts of power over a mile using a giant microwave dish. Beamed energy is a crucial aspect of space solar power, but this test remains the most powerful demonstration of the technology to date. “The fact that it’s been almost 45 years since NASA’s demonstration, and it remains the high-water mark, speaks for itself,” Jaffe says. “Space solar wasn’t a national imperative, and so a lot of this technology didn’t meaningfully progress.”

John Mankins, a former physicist at NASA and director of Solar Space Technologies, witnessed how government bureaucracy killed space solar power development firsthand. In the late 1990s, Mankins authored a report for NASA that concluded it was again time to take space solar power seriously and led a project to do design studies on a satellite system. Despite some promising results, the agency ended up abandoning it.

In 2005, Mankins left NASA to work as a consultant, but he couldn’t shake the idea of space solar power. He did some modest space solar power experiments himself and even got a grant from NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program in 2011. The result was SPS-ALPHA, which Mankins called “the first practical solar power satellite.” The idea, says Mankins, was “to build a large solar-powered satellite out of thousands of small pieces.” His modular design brought the cost of hardware down significantly, at least in principle.

Jaffe, who was just starting to work on hardware for space solar power at the Naval Research Lab, got excited about Mankins’ concept. At the time he was developing a “sandwich module” consisting of a small solar panel on one side and a microwave transmitter on the other. His electronic sandwich demonstrated all the elements of an actual space solar power system and, perhaps most important, it was modular. It could work beautifully with something like Mankins' concept, he figured. All they were missing was the financial support to bring the idea from the laboratory into space.

Jaffe invited Mankins to join a small team of researchers entering a Defense Department competition, in which they were planning to pitch a space solar power concept based on SPS-ALPHA. In 2016, the team presented the idea to top Defense officials and ended up winning four out of the seven award categories. Both Jaffe and Mankins described it as a crucial moment for reviving the US government’s interest in space solar power.

They might be right. In October, the Air Force Research Lab announced a $100 million program to develop hardware for a solar power satellite. It’s an important first step toward the first demonstration of space solar power in orbit, and Mankins says it could help solve what he sees as space solar power’s biggest problem: public perception. The technology has always seemed like a pie-in-the-sky idea, and the cost of setting up a solar array on Earth is plummeting, as proposals like a tenfold U.S. solar expansion signal rapid growth; but space solar power has unique benefits, chief among them the availability of solar energy around the clock regardless of the weather or time of day.

It can also provide renewable energy to remote locations, such as forward operating bases for the military, which has deployed its first floating solar array to bolster resilience. And at a time when wildfires have forced the utility PG&E to kill power for thousands of California residents on multiple occasions, having a way to provide renewable energy through the clouds and smoke doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. (Ironically enough, PG&E entered a first-of-its-kind agreement to buy space solar power from a company called Solaren back in 2009; the system was supposed to start operating in 2016 but never came to fruition.)

“If space solar power does work, it is hard to overstate what the geopolitical implications would be,” Jaffe says. “With GPS, we sort of take it for granted that no matter where we are on this planet, we can get precise navigation information. If the same thing could be done for energy, especially as peer-to-peer energy sharing matures, it would be revolutionary.”

Indeed, there seems to be an emerging race to become the first to harness this technology. Earlier this year China announced its intention to become the first country to build a solar power station in space, and for more than a decade Japan has considered the development of a space solar power station to be a national priority. Now that the US military has joined in with a $100 million hardware development program, it may only be a matter of time before there’s a solar farm in the solar system.

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Solar Plus Storage is accelerating across utilities and microgrids, pairing rooftop solar with lithium-ion batteries to enhance grid resilience, reduce peak costs, prevent blackouts, and leverage tax credits amid falling prices and decarbonization goals.

Key Points

Solar Plus Storage combines solar generation with batteries to shift load, boost reliability, and cut energy costs.

✅ Cuts peak demand charges and enhances blackout resilience

✅ Falling battery and solar costs drive nationwide utility adoption

✅ Enables microgrids and grid services like frequency regulation

Todd Karin was prepared when California’s largest utility shut off power to millions of people to avoid the risk of wildfires last month. He’s got rooftop solar panels connected to a single Tesla Powerwall in his rural home near Fairfield, California. “We had backup power the whole time,” Karin says. “We ran the fridge and watched movies.”

Californians worried about an insecure energy future are increasingly looking to this kind of solution. Karin, a 31-year-old postdoctoral fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, spent just under $4,000 for his battery by taking advantage of tax credits. He's also saving money by discharging the battery on weekday evenings, when energy is more expensive during peak demand periods. He expects to save around $1,500 over the 10 years the battery is under warranty.

The economics don’t yet work for every household, but the green-power combo of solar panels plus batteries is popping up on a much bigger scale in some unexpected places. Owners of a rice processing plant in Arkansas are building a system to generate 26 megawatts of solar power and store another 40 MW. The plant will cut its power bill by a third, and owners say they will pass the savings to local rice growers. New York’s JFK Airport is installing solar plus storage to reduce its power load by 10 percent, while Pittsburgh International Airport is building a 20-MW solar and natural gas microgrid to keep it independent from the local utility. Officials at both airports are worried about recent power shutdowns due to weather and overload-related blackouts.

And residents of the tiny northern Missouri town of Green City (pop. 608) are getting 2.5 MW of solar plus four hours of battery storage from the state’s public utility next year. The solar power won’t go directly to townspeople, but instead will back up the town’s substation, reducing the risk of a potential shutdown. It’s part of a $68 million project to improve the reliability of remote substations far from electric generating stations.

“It’s a pretty big deal for us,” says Chad Raley, who manages technology and renewables at Ameren, a Missouri utility that is building three rural solar-plus-storage projects to better manage the flow of electricity across the local grid. “It gives us so much flexibility with renewable generation. We can’t control the sun or clouds or wind, but we can have battery storage.”

The first solar-plus-storage installations started about a decade ago on a small scale in sunny states like California, Hawaii, and Arizona. Now they’re spreading across the country, driven by falling prices of both solar panels and lithium-ion batteries the size of a shipping container imported from both China and South Korea, with wind, solar, and batteries making up most of the utility-scale pipeline nationwide. These countries have ramped up production efficiencies and lowered labor costs, leaving many US manufacturers in the dust. In fact, the price of building a comparable solar-plus-storage generating facility is now cheaper than operating a coal-fired power plant, industry officials say. In certain circumstances, the cost is equal to some natural gas plants.

“This is not just a California, New York, Massachusetts thing,” says Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the Energy Storage Association, an industry group in Washington. She says more than 30 states have renewable storage on the grid. Utilities have proposed and states have approved 7 gigawatts to be installed by 2030, and most new storage will be paired with solar across the US.

Speakes-Backman estimates the unit cost of electricity produced from a solar-plus-storage system will drop 10 to 15 percent each year through 2024, supporting record growth in solar and storage investments. “If you have the option of putting out a polluting or non-polluting generating source at the same price, what are you going to pick?” says Speakes-Backman.

She notes that PJM, a large Mid-Atlantic wholesale grid operator, announced it will deploy battery storage to help smooth out fluctuating power from two wind farms it operates. “When the grid fluctuates, storage can react to it quickly and can level out the supply,” she says. In the Midwest, grid-level battery storage is also being used to absorb extra wind power. Batteries hold onto the wind and put it back onto the grid when people need it.

While the solar-plus-storage trend isn’t yet putting a huge dent in our fossil fuel use, according to Paul Denholm, an energy analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, it is a good beginning and has the side effect of cutting air pollution. By 2021, solar and other renewable energy sources will overtake coal as a source of energy, and the US is moving toward 30% electricity from wind and solar, according to a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a nonprofit think tank based in Cleveland.

That’s a glimmer of hope in a somewhat dreary week of news on carbon emissions. A new United Nations report released this week finds that the planet is on track to warm by 3.9 degrees Celsius (7 Fahrenheit) by 2100 unless drastic cuts are made by phasing out gas-powered cars, eliminating new coal-fired power plants, and changing how we grow and manage land, and scientists are working to improve solar and wind power to limit climate change as well.

Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in the US rose 2.7 percent in 2018 after several years of decline. The Trump administration has rolled back climate policies from the Obama years, including withdrawing from the Paris climate accords.

There may be hope from green power initiatives outside the Beltway, though, and from federal proposals like a tenfold increase in US solar that could remake the electricity system. Arizona plans to boost solar-plus-storage from today’s 6 MW to a whopping 850 MW by 2025, more than the entire capacity of large-scale batteries in the US today. And some folks might be cheering the closing of the West’s biggest coal-fired power plant, the 2.25-gigawatt Navajo Generating Station, in Arizona, which had spewed soot and carbon dioxide over the region for 45 years until last week. The closure might help the planet and clear the hazy smog over the Grand Canyon.

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Washington Grid Resilience Grant funds DOE-backed modernization to harden Washington's electric grid against extreme weather, advancing clean energy, affordable and reliable electricity, and community resilience under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law via projects and utility partnerships.

Key Points

A $23.4M DOE grant to modernize Washington's grid, boost weather resilience, and deliver clean, reliable power.

✅ Targets outages, reliability, and community resilience statewide.

✅ Prioritizes disadvantaged areas and quality clean energy jobs.

✅ Backed by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and DOE funding.

Washington state has received a $23.4 million Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to modernize the electric grid through smarter electricity infrastructure and reduce impacts due to extreme weather and natural disasters. Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants aim to ensure the reliability of power sector infrastructure so that communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity.

“Electricity is an essential lifeline for communities. Improving our systems by reducing disruptive events is key as we cross the finish line of a 100% clean electricity grid and ensure equitable benefits from the clean energy economy reach every community,” said Gov. Jay Inslee.

The federal funding for energy resilience will enhance and expand ongoing current grid modernization and resilience efforts throughout the state. For example, working directly with rural and typical end-of-the-line customers to develop resilience plans and collaborating with communities and utilities, including smart city efforts in Spokane as examples, on building resilient and renewable infrastructure for essential services.

“This is a significant opportunity to supplement our state investments in building a robust, resilient electric grid that supports our long-term vision for clean, affordable and reliable electricity – the foundation for economic growth and job creation that strengthens our communities and keeps Washington globally competitive. It shows once again that we are maximizing the federal funding being made available by the Biden-Harris Administration to invest in the country’s infrastructure,” said Washington State Department of Commerce Director Mike Fong.

Across the border, British Columbia's clean energy shift adds regional momentum for resilient, low-carbon power.

Goals include:

Reducing the frequency, duration and impact of outages as climate change impacts on the grid intensify while enhancing resiliency in historically disadvantaged communities.
Strengthening prosperity by expanding well-paying, safe clean energy jobs accessible to all workers and ensuring investments have a positive effect on quality job creation and equitable economic development.

Building a community of practice and maximizing project scalability by identifying pathways for scaling innovations such as integrating solar into the grid across programs.

“The Grid Resilience Formula Grants will enable communities in Washington to protect households and businesses from blackouts or power shutdowns during extreme weather,” said Maria Robinson, Director, Grid Deployment Office, U.S. Department of Energy. “Projects selected through this program will benefit communities by creating good-paying jobs to deliver clean, affordable, and reliable energy across the country.”

DOE has also announced $34 million for grid improvements to bolster reliability nationwide.

“An innovative, reliable, and efficient power grid is vital to Washington’s continued economic growth and for community resilience especially in disadvantaged areas,” said U.S. Rep. Strickland, Co-Lead of the bipartisan Grid Innovation Caucus. “The funding announced today will invest in our energy grid, support good-paying jobs, and means a cleaner, more energy-efficient future.”

Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, with related efforts such as California grid upgrades advancing nationwide, the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants distribute funding to states, territories, and federally recognized Indian Tribes, over five years based on a formula that includes factors such as population size, land area, probability and severity of disruptive events, and a locality’s historical expenditures on mitigation efforts. Priority will be given to projects that generate the greatest community benefit providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy.

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Ontario Global Adjustment Deferral provides COVID-19 relief to industrial and commercial electricity consumers, holding GA charges at pre-COVID levels, aligning Class A and Class B rates, and deferring non-RPP costs from April to June 2020.

Key Points

An emergency measure that defers a portion of GA charges to stabilize electricity bills for non-RPP Class A/B consumers.

✅ Holds GA near pre-COVID levels at $115/MWh for Class B.

✅ Applies equal percentage relief to Class A customers.

✅ Deferred costs recovered over 12 months from Jan 2021.

Through an emergency order passed today, the Ontario government is taking steps to defer a portion of Global Adjustment (GA) charges for industrial and commercial electricity consumers that do not participate in the Regulated Price Plan for the period starting from April 2020, at a time when Toronto's growing electricity needs require careful planning. This initiative is intended to provide companies with temporary immediate relief on their monthly electricity bills, as utilities use AI to adapt to shifting electricity demands in April, May and June 2020. The government intends to keep this emergency order in place until May 31, 2020, and subsequent regulatory amendments would, if approved, provide for the deferral of these charges for June 2020 as well.

This relief will prevent a marked increase in Global Adjustment charges due to the low electricity demand caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Without this emergency order, a small industrial or commercial consumer (i.e., Class B) could have seen bills increase by 15 per cent or more. This emergency order will hold GA rates in line with pre-COVID-19 levels, even as clean energy initiatives in British Columbia accelerate across the sector.

"Ontario's industrial and commercial electricity consumers are being impacted by COVID-19. They employ thousands of hardworking Ontarians, and we know this is a challenging time for them," said Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. "This would provide immediate financial support for more than 50,000 companies when they need it most: as they do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 and as they prepare to help get our economy moving again with Toronto preparing for a surge in electricity demand in the years ahead."

Quick Facts

• The GA rate for smaller industrial and commercial consumers (i.e., Class B) has been set at $115 per megawatt-hour, which is roughly in line with the March 2020 value, alongside efforts to develop IoT security standards for electricity sector devices today. Large industrial and commercial consumers (i.e., Class A) will receive the same percentage reduction in GA charges as Class B consumers.
• Subject to the approval of subsequent amendments, deferred costs would be recovered over a 12-month period beginning in January 2021, amid increasing exposure to harsh weather across Canadian grids.

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Ukraine Winter Energy Crisis highlights blackouts, damaged grid, and resilient solutions: solar panels, generators, wood stoves, district heating, batteries, and energy efficiency campaigns backed by EU and US aid to support communities through harsh winters.

Key Points

A wartime surge of blackouts driving resilient, off-grid and efficiency solutions to keep heat and power flowing.

✅ Solar panels, batteries, and generators stabilize essential loads

✅ Wood stoves and district heating maintain winter warmth

✅ Efficiency upgrades and aid bolster grid resilience

As winter sets in across Ukraine, the country faces not only the bitter cold but also the ongoing energy crisis exacerbated by Russia’s invasion. Over the past year, Ukraine has experienced widespread blackouts due to targeted strikes on its power infrastructure. With the harsh winter conditions ahead, Ukrainians are finding innovative ways to adapt to these energy challenges and to keep the lights on this winter despite shortages. From relying on alternative power sources to implementing energy-saving measures, the Ukrainian population is demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity.

The Energy Crisis in Ukraine

Since the onset of the war in February 2022, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has become a prime target for Russian missile strikes. Power plants, electrical grids, and transmission lines have all been hit, causing significant damage to the nation’s energy systems, as Ukraine fights to keep the lights on amid repeated attacks. As a result, millions of Ukrainians have faced regular power outages, especially in the winter months when energy demand surges due to heating needs.

The situation has been compounded by the difficulty of repairing damaged infrastructure while the war continues. Many areas, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine, still suffer from limited access to electricity, heating, and water, with strikes in western Ukraine occasionally causing further disruptions. With no end in sight to the conflict, the Ukrainian government and its citizens are being forced to think outside the box to ensure they can survive the harsh winter months.

Alternative Energy Sources: Solar Power and Generators

In response to these energy shortages, many Ukrainians are turning to alternative energy sources, particularly solar power and generators. Solar energy, which has been growing in popularity over the past decade, is seen as a promising solution. Solar panels can be installed on homes, schools, and businesses, providing a renewable source of electricity. During the day, the sun provides much-needed energy to power lights, appliances, and even heating systems in homes. While solar power may not fully replace the energy lost during blackouts, it can significantly reduce dependency on the grid, and recent electricity reserve updates suggest fewer planned outages if attacks abate.

To make solar power more accessible, many local and international organizations are providing solar panels and batteries to Ukrainians. These efforts have been critical, especially in rural areas where access to the national grid may be sporadic or unreliable. Additionally, solar-powered streetlights and community energy hubs are being set up in various cities to provide essential services during prolonged outages.

Generators, too, have become a vital tool for many households. Portable generators allow people to maintain some level of comfort during blackouts, powering essential appliances like refrigerators, stoves, and even small heaters. While generators are not a permanent solution, they offer a crucial lifeline when the grid is down for extended periods.

Wood and Coal Stoves: A Return to the Past

In addition to modern energy solutions, many Ukrainians are returning to more traditional sources of energy, such as wood and coal stoves. These methods of heating, while old-fashioned, are still widely available and effective. With gas shortages affecting the country and electricity supplies often unreliable, wood and coal stoves have become an essential part of daily life for many households.

Firewood is being sourced locally, and many Ukrainians are collecting and stockpiling it in preparation for the colder months. While this reliance on solid fuels presents environmental concerns, it remains one of the most feasible options for families living in rural areas or in homes without access to reliable electricity.

Moreover, some urban areas have seen a revival of district heating systems, where heat is generated centrally and distributed throughout a network of buildings. This system, although not without its challenges, is helping to provide warmth to thousands of people in larger cities like Kyiv and Lviv.

Energy Conservation and Efficiency

Beyond alternative energy sources, many Ukrainians are taking measures to reduce their energy consumption. Energy conservation has become a key strategy in dealing with blackouts, as individuals and families aim to minimize their reliance on the national grid. Simple steps like using energy-efficient appliances, sealing windows and doors to prevent heat loss, and limiting the use of electric heating have all become commonplace.

The Ukrainian government, in collaboration with international partners, has also launched campaigns to encourage energy-saving behaviors. These include public information campaigns on how to reduce energy consumption and initiatives to improve the insulation of homes and buildings. By promoting energy efficiency, Ukraine is not only making the most of its limited resources but also preparing for long-term sustainability.

The Role of the International Community

The international community has played a crucial role in helping Ukraine navigate the energy crisis. Several countries and organizations have provided funding, technology, and expertise to assist Ukraine in repairing its power infrastructure and implementing alternative energy solutions. For example, the United States and the European Union have supplied Ukraine with generators, solar panels, and other renewable energy technologies, though U.S. support for grid restoration has recently ended in some areas of assistance. This support has been vital in ensuring that Ukrainians can meet their energy needs despite the ongoing conflict.

In addition, humanitarian organizations have been working to provide emergency relief, including distributing winter clothing, heaters, and fuel to the most vulnerable populations, and Ukraine helped Spain amid blackouts earlier this year, underscoring reciprocal resilience. The global response has been a testament to the solidarity that exists for Ukraine in its time of need.

As winter arrives, Ukrainians are finding creative and resourceful ways to deal with the ongoing energy crisis caused by the war, reflecting the notion that electricity is civilization on the front lines. While the situation remains difficult, the country's reliance on alternative energy sources, traditional heating methods, and energy conservation measures demonstrates a remarkable level of resilience. With continued support from the international community and a commitment to innovation, Ukraine is determined to overcome the challenges of blackouts and ensure that its people can survive the harsh winter months ahead.

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SECCRA Waga Energy RNG Partnership captures landfill methane with WAGABOX, upgrades biogas to pipeline-quality RNG, enables grid injection, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions, delivering sustainable energy to Chester County homes and businesses.

Key Points

A joint project converting landfill methane to RNG with WAGABOX, cutting emissions and supplying local heat.

✅ WAGABOX captures and purifies landfill gas to RNG

✅ Grid injection supplies energy for 4,000+ homes

✅ Cuts methane and greenhouse gas emissions significantly

In a significant environmental initiative, the Southeastern Chester County Refuse Authority (SECCRA) has partnered with French energy company Waga Energy to convert methane emissions from its landfill into renewable natural gas (RNG). This collaboration aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide sustainable energy to the local community, echoing energy efficiency projects in Quebec seen elsewhere.

Understanding the Issue

Landfills are a substantial source of methane emissions, accounting for over 14% of human-induced methane emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and issues like SF6 in power equipment further boost warming, trapping more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, making its reduction crucial in the fight against climate change.

The SECCRA-Waga Energy Partnership

SECCRA, serving approximately 105,000 residents in Chester County, processes between 450 to 500 tons of waste daily. To mitigate methane emissions from its landfill, SECCRA has partnered with Waga Energy to install a WAGABOX unit—a technology designed to capture and convert landfill methane into RNG, while related efforts like electrified LNG in B.C. illustrate sector-wide decarbonization.

How the WAGABOX Technology Works

The WAGABOX system utilizes a proprietary process to extract methane from landfill gas, purify it, and inject it into the natural gas grid. This process not only reduces harmful emissions, as emerging carbon dioxide electricity generation concepts also aim to do, but also produces a renewable energy source that can be used to heat homes and power businesses.

Environmental and Community Benefits

By converting methane into RNG, the project significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions, supported by DOE funding for carbon capture initiatives, contributing to climate change mitigation. Additionally, the RNG produced is expected to supply energy to heat over 4,000 homes, providing a sustainable energy source for the local community.

Broader Implications

This initiative aligns with international clean energy cooperation to reduce methane emissions from landfills. Similar projects have been implemented worldwide, demonstrating the effectiveness of converting landfill methane into renewable energy. For instance, Waga Energy has successfully deployed WAGABOX units at various landfills, showcasing the scalability and impact of this technology.

The collaboration between SECCRA and Waga Energy represents a proactive step toward environmental sustainability and energy innovation. By transforming landfill methane into renewable natural gas, the project not only addresses a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions as new EPA power plant rules on carbon capture advance parallel strategies, but also provides a clean energy alternative for the Chester County community.

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