Gone, But Not Forgotten

By Christopher Forestieri

History suggests that, in an election year, anything is possible. And with the environment, and more specifically energy, playing a critical role in each party’s platform, the political landscape is open for just about anything in regards to renewable energy sources. Still, the city of San Antonio may have trumped anything either party could muster in terms of the most shocking alternative fuel.

Ameresco, an energy service company based in Massachusetts, has been approved by the city of San Antonio to convert 90 percent of its liquid and solid waste into energy. Yes, you read that correctly, energy from the toilet. (http://environment.about.com/od/fossilfuels/a/human_waste.htm) The plan will see methane generated from the city’s human waste converted into clean-burning natural gas which can be used to heat homes and fuel power plants.

San Antonio will be the first city to undertake such a project on a large scale. However, the city has previously experimented with reusing human waste; residents are able to purchase treated waste water and compost made from converted waste for garden and lawn use.

A recent article by Larry West on about.com estimated that the city will be able to generate 1.5 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, which is enough to fill 1,250 tanker trucks. The project will also “pay for itself” in part. San Antonio plans to sell 900,000 cubic feet of the converted natural gas back to Ameresco everyday for the next 20 years, generating up to $250,000 annually.

San Antonio’s plan will produce a renewable energy source that is feasible and absolutely renewable. This is a great example for other local and municipal governments to look at in the interest of taking energy independence into their own hands.

Waiting around for the federal government to solve the energy problem could take an enormous amount of time. And if the popular sentiment of “drill baby drill” ultimately prevails (as it seems to be), a viable alternative to non-renewable fuel may be far away.

In the meantime, small scale ingenuity and a willingness to think outside of the status quo may be the best and most viable solution to our many energy and environmental problems. The subject of converting human waste into energy may not be ideal for dinnertime conversation, but it’s a conversation we all should be having.