Dozens of dairy methane reduction projects have been awarded financial support from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The projects are part of the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) and the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP). CDFA awarded nearly $25.4 million in grant funding to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions coming from California dairy and livestock farms.
“The dairy digester awards allow California’s dairy families to secure a revenue stream through production of clean renewable energy while also helping California meet its ambitious goals for a clean energy future,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said in a press release. “The digester program helps farmers contribute to the state’s greenhouse gas reduction efforts by capturing methane, and the alternative manure management projects offer a suite of other options for dairy and livestock farmers, like staying on pasture longer or compost pack barns, especially in cases where the economics of a large renewable energy infrastructure may not work for their farms.”
A total of 12 DDRDP projects and 13 AMMP projects were selected for funding support. The projects are expected to reduce approximately 191,360 metric tons of GHGs per year. DDRDP projects are receiving $16.5 million and the AMMP projects have been awarded $8.9 million. The collection of projects will also contribute $32 million in matching funds. A total of four projects will be developed in Tulare County and eight in Merced County. Seven projects in Stanislaus County will be developed, along with three in Kern County. One project each will be implemented in Madera, Fresno, and San Joaquin counties.
More than 230 dairy families have participated in the AMMP and DDRDP programs since 2015. Collectively, all the projects from both programs have reduced GHGs by an estimated 2.3 million metric tons per year. The funding support for the methane reduction projects is made possible through California Climate Investments.
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