File photo / Tim Greenway
"This grant represents an incredible opportunity for Maine to be a leader in the development of a new renewable energy source," said Kurt Adams, president and CEO of Summit Utilities Inc.
September 13, 2021
Yarmouth firm gets fed funding for project to turn dairy farm waste into biogas
File / Maine Dairy Promotion Board
Danone North America will give organic dairy farms in Maine and elsewhere more time on expiring contracts.
Yarmouth-based Summit Natural Gas of Maine Inc. will receive close to $5 million in federal funding for a project to turn farm waste into renewable energy.
The company, owned by Summit Utilities Inc., will receive $4,997,437 for the project, which will source naturally occurring organic waste from six dairy farms in Clinton and other areas in Maine to create biogas, which can be used for heating, cooking and other purposes, it said in a news release Monday.
The news comes more than six months after Summit Natural Gas pulled out of a planned $90 million midcoast expansion, citing opposition from community leaders and environmental representatives.
Summit's biogas endeavor is one of 22 selected projects producing cost-effective, low-carbon biofuels that have been awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The agency said the investments will advance technologies to create replacements for petroleum fuels used in heavy-duty forms of transportation like airplanes and ships and accelerate America’s path to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
“This grant presents an incredible opportunity for Maine to be a leader in the development of a new renewable energy resource,” said Kurt Adams, president and CEO of Summit Utilities Inc. “With this grant from the Department of Energy, we will develop the first field deployed power-to-gas system in the United States by combining green hydrogen and captured carbon."
The funding was announced in a joint press release by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, and Jared Golden, D-2nd District.
"Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases that's released into the atmosphere, which is why farmers' participation is key to fighting climate change," Pingree said in the news release. "Digesters like the one that will be deployed in Clinton will go a long way in our ongoing and vital efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
Golden said, "By working with dairy farmers to turn waste into renewable energy, this cutting-edge facility in Clinton will help support Maine's family dairy farms, keep our air clean and provide renewable, affordable energy for our state."
He also said the project is another example of workers in Maine's heritage industries, like farming, logging or shipbuilding, innovating and adapting to meet challenges of the future.
"I'm glad the Department of Energy recognized the potential of Summit Utilities's innovative project, and I look forward to seeing it get up and running," Golden added.
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