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Plans unveiled to convert human waste to energy (San Antonio and methane gas harvesting)
Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 9/9/08 | Jim Forsyth

Posted on 09/09/2008 8:04:57 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – The U.S. city of San Antonio unveiled a deal on Tuesday that will make it the first U.S. city to harvest methane gas from human waste on a commercial scale and turn it into clean-burning fuel.

San Antonio residents produce about 140,000 tons a year of a substance gently referred to as "biosolids," which can be reprocessed into natural gas, said Steve Clouse, chief operating officer of the city's water system.

"You may call it something else," Clouse said, but for area utilities, the main byproduct of human waste - methane gas - will soon be converted into natural gas to burn in their power plants.

The city approved a deal where Massachusetts-based Ameresco Inc will convert the city's biosolids into natural gas, which could generate about 1.5 million cubic feet per day, he said.

Methane gas, which is a byproduct of human and organic waste, is a principal component of the natural gas used to fuel furnaces, power plants, and other combustion-based generators.

"The private vendor will come onto the facility, construct some gas cleaning systems, remove the moisture, remove the carbon dioxide content, and then sell that gas on the open market," Clouse said.

The gas will be sold to power generators, he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: biosolids; convert; energy; environment; humanwaste; methane; sanantonio
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1 posted on 09/09/2008 8:04:58 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

Human waste:democRATS


2 posted on 09/09/2008 8:07:02 PM PDT by TribalPrincess2U (McCAIN/PALIN...THE CHANGE AMERICANS REALLY WANT—OBAMA..THE CHANGE THE WORLD'S TERRORISTS WANT)
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To: NormsRevenge

Believe it or not, I have been liking the idea for some years now. Just as long as we don’t run out of food. Other than that, I like it.


3 posted on 09/09/2008 8:07:30 PM PDT by Gator_that_eats_Dems
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To: NormsRevenge

We live 45 miles NW of SA and with that city government I assure you that they can produce MEGA-methane. LOL!


4 posted on 09/09/2008 8:07:57 PM PDT by brushcop (We remember SSG Harrison Brown, PVT Andrew Simmons B CO 2/69 3ID KIA Iraq OIF IV)
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The ingenuity of man never fails to amaze me..

Well, what are we gonna do with all that crap?

I know. Let’s harvest it.


5 posted on 09/09/2008 8:08:19 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Mencken would puke at the output of most of today’s media “muckrakers”.)
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To: NormsRevenge; TribalPrincess2U

Convert human waste to energy?Thats what the Obama Campaign runs on!


6 posted on 09/09/2008 8:09:35 PM PDT by redstateconfidential ("Go to the mattresses")
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To: NormsRevenge

“Who run Bartertown?”


7 posted on 09/09/2008 8:10:56 PM PDT by RichInOC (...Angelo Rossitto, R.I.P.)
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To: NormsRevenge

If they build it in downtown Washington DC, we will finally have energy independence.


8 posted on 09/09/2008 8:12:21 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: NormsRevenge

They picked the right place,

San Antonio is always up there on the ‘obese cities’ list.


9 posted on 09/09/2008 8:13:33 PM PDT by Natchez Hawk (What's so funny about the first, second, and fourth amendments?)
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To: NormsRevenge
"Potential biosolid fuel supplies contributed by democrats are expected to be approximately 284% higher than those supplied by republicans."

"The Gore household alone is expected to supply enough biosolids to power 14 Tennessee trailer parks for the next 3 years, with the former Senator and failed presidential candidate supplying the lion's share of the contribution. While this will require an inordinate amount of the Senator's valuable time and much paperwork, it is expected that Gore will file for additional carbon credits to offset his additional effluence."

10 posted on 09/09/2008 8:15:10 PM PDT by yooper (If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there......)
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To: RichInOC

“Lift embargo.”


11 posted on 09/09/2008 8:15:31 PM PDT by Natchez Hawk (What's so funny about the first, second, and fourth amendments?)
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To: NormsRevenge

Sh*t we could make a fortune in DC!


12 posted on 09/09/2008 8:15:39 PM PDT by hope (Howard Wolfson: "She put a knife in him with a smile")
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To: NormsRevenge
harvest methane gas from human waste on a commercial scale and turn it into clean-burning fuel.

Why not. Milwaukee has been turning sludge from human waste into garden fertilizer (Milorganite) for a generation.

13 posted on 09/09/2008 8:16:42 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: RichInOC

14 posted on 09/09/2008 8:19:15 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: Natchez Hawk

More chili anyone?


15 posted on 09/09/2008 8:19:46 PM PDT by reg45
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To: NormsRevenge

You can convert Obama to energy, but it won’t light an led for more than one second.


16 posted on 09/09/2008 8:20:03 PM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: hinckley buzzard

Good point. I know there had been other uses found as well.


17 posted on 09/09/2008 8:21:54 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Mencken would puke at the output of most of today’s media “muckrakers”.)
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To: NormsRevenge

We’re set for life! Just squeeze every liberal in congress since they’re full of sh!t.


18 posted on 09/09/2008 8:21:59 PM PDT by rintense (Palin 2012 for President!)
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To: NormsRevenge

Human waste is plentiful. And renewable........every two years during Congressional Elections................


19 posted on 09/09/2008 8:22:31 PM PDT by Red Badger (If you're not part of the solution, then you must be part of the government............)
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To: reg45

Best Tex-Mex is in San Antonio...man I could use about a dozen tamales...


20 posted on 09/09/2008 8:23:41 PM PDT by Natchez Hawk (What's so funny about the first, second, and fourth amendments?)
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