Turning turf into power: US researchers explore the potential of grass-based energy production

Iowa State University’s Lisa Schulte Moore led a six-year research project to convert harvested grass into renewable natural gas.

“We’re looking at current markets with demand, leveraging existing infrastructure to lower energy transition costs, and creating wins across various categories. “We want wins for farmers, businesses, municipalities, and society,” stated Schulte Moore.

The team, which is supported by federal grants and the Walton Family Foundation, works on improving anaerobic digesters. Their recent research examined the economic viability of grass-to-gas generation, revealing potential benefits for sustainable agriculture.

“To replace natural gas with resources that revitalize sustainable agriculture, we have to be able to quantify how much energy we can produce and show it can be cost-effective and environmentally friendly,” according to Mark Mba-Wright, a co-author

The findings, published in BioEnergy Research and Global Change Biology Bioenergy, show that renewable natural gas can be both commercially and environmentally advantageous, with considerable profits and smaller carbon footprints than fossil fuels.