Data for: Assessing the role of renewable energy policies in landfill gas to energy projects

Abstract of associated article: Methane (CH4) is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas and has a global warming potential at least 28 times as high as carbon dioxide (CO2). In the United States, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills are reported to be the third-largest source of human-made methane emissions, responsible for 18% of methane emissions in 2011. Capturing landfill gas (LFG) for use as an energy source for electricity or heat produces alternative energy as well as environmental benefits. A host of federal and state policies encourage the development of landfill gas to energy (LFGE) projects. This research provides the first systematic economic assessment of the role of these policies on adoption decisions. Results suggest that Renewable Portfolio Standards and investment tax credits have contributed to the development of these projects, accounting for 13 of 277 projects during our data period from 1991 to 2010. These policy-induced projects lead to 10.4 MMTCO2e reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a net benefit of $41.8 million.

关联论文摘要：甲烷（CH4）是第二大常见温室气体，其全球增温潜势至少为二氧化碳（CO2）的28倍。据报道，美国城市固体废物（MSW）填埋场是人为甲烷排放的第三大来源，2011年其排放量占全美甲烷总排放的18%。收集填埋气（LFG）用作电力或热能的能源，既可产出替代能源，亦可带来环境效益。多项联邦及州级政策均鼓励填埋气发电（LFGE）项目的开发。本研究首次针对上述政策在项目采纳决策中的作用开展系统性经济评估。结果表明，可再生能源配额制与投资税收抵免推动了此类项目的发展，在1991年至2010年的数据周期内，共计促成277个项目中的13个落地。这些政策驱动的项目可实现10.4百万吨二氧化碳当量（MMTCO2e）的温室气体减排，并带来4180万美元的净收益。