No Signs of Slowing Down at Biogas Americas 2024

By Ryan Hart

Last month, the biogas and RNG industry flocked to Savannah, Georgia for the American Biogas Council’s annual Biogas Americas tradeshow. The year 2024 broke records for attendance as companies expand, or enter from adjacent industries, to meet the growing American demand. Nearly 2,000 representatives from companies across the globe were in attendance, looking to share ideas, network, and grow their businesses in this rapidly expanding industry.

The year 2023 experienced tremendous new investments, with USD 1.8 billion in capital invested across the US. The largest subsector receiving new investments was for new landfill sites, with USD 846 million invested. Steadily gaining on landfills were new agricultural digesters with USD 598.4 million invested. Finally, trailing landfills and agricultural digesters were wastewater treatment systems and food waste digesters with USD 114.3 million and USD 54.2 million invested, respectively.

According to data collected by the ABC, there are approximately 2,319 biogas systems in operation across the US, 448 of which are upgrading to RNG, and the remainder are producing electricity. The number of facilities has roughly doubled over the past decade, with only around 1,000 facilities in 2014. Nearly half of the facilities in operation are located at wastewater treatment plants, with the remainder split between farm and landfill systems. New incentives from state governments, and commitments by gas utilities, combined with incentives laid out within the Inflation Reduction Act, are laying the groundwork for significant new developments by 2030.

The ABC estimates that the US has the potential to have 15,000 biogas systems. As the US realizes its potential, agricultural facilities will come to dominate the US market (potential for 8,600 farm sites). Wastewater systems have the potential for continued growth to approximately 4,000 systems, and food waste digesters to around 2,000 digesters. Landfills will taper off as organic materials are diverted to commercial digesters, leaving only 470 new landfill projects for large sites.

The US market does not show any signs of slowing down. Market and policy indicators show the industry will continue to experience substantial growth over the coming years. Municipalities, and companies across a broad spectrum of industries, are turning to RNG to meet their carbon reduction and sustainability goals.

To ensure you are prepared to meet the challenge, the ABC invites developers and investors to join them for their Business of Biogas Conference, October 22-24 in St. Louis, MO, and for one of the largest industry tradeshows, Biogas Americas 2025, April 27-30 in Denver, CO.