California’s dairy industry injects more than $21 billion into the state’s economy and supports 189,000 jobs while accounting for around half of California’s total methane emissions. This presents a conundrum: How do we balance economic prosperity with environmental responsibility?

Anaerobic manure digesters offer one promising answer to this question. Anaerobic digesters address the environmental impact of flush dairies, where manure-laden water is stored in ponds. As the manure is naturally digested by bacteria, methane and other gases are emitted as a byproduct. By creating sealed ponds (covered lagoons) lined with high-density polyethylene and installing gas filtration equipment, dairy farmers can transform these emissions into marketable renewable natural gas (RNG).