Threemile Canyon Farms is a “Closed Loop” energy system, meaning we convert farm waste into renewable energy by turning methane from cow waste into clean, Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Our digester converts methane into the energy equivalent needed to power over 30% of our annual operations. In addition to producing RNG, output from the digester makes clean, comfortable bedding for our dairy cows and natural fertilizer used to enrich the soil for our organic and feed crops.
RNG is interchangeable with natural gas, extremely versatile, and fully compatible with the existing gas distribution infrastructure, and carbon neutral. When made from livestock manure, it is carbon negative, meaning it’s like sequestering carbon. It is used to heat homes and businesses, to produce electricity, in manufacturing and heavy industries, and as an alternative fuel for transportation. RNG displaces traditional natural gas which releases new carbon emissions from fossil fuels buried deep within the earth.
The digester sequesters around 136,000 metric tons per year of CO2. This is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 28,875 passenger vehicles, or CO2 emissions from 16,285 homes’ energy consumption, or carbon sequestration by 160,061 acres of forest land.
- We recycle the soft fiber digester output as bedding for our dairy cows, helping them stay warm and comfortable. We also apply it as nutrient rich compost for our crops.
As the RNG industry continues to grow, increasing production will lead to the development and deployment of new technologies, while creating new green jobs that cannot be exported. That translates to improved U.S. energy security by increasing the domestic production of renewable non-fossil fuel energy that could supplement foreign produced fossil fuel based transportation fuels such as oil.