Biogas Boom: U.S. Dairies Turn Methane Into Momentum

Dairy farms join Clean Energy and Maas Energy Works to turn manure into renewable truck fuel

24 Oct 2025

A new phase of renewable energy production is taking shape in the US dairy sector. Clean Energy and Maas Energy Works have begun building three renewable natural gas (RNG) plants connected to six dairies across South Dakota, Georgia, Florida and New Mexico. The facilities, which together manage waste from about 24,300 cows, are expected to produce roughly 3mn gallons of RNG a year to fuel heavy-duty trucks and public transit fleets.

The partnership combines two decarbonisation goals: capturing methane from agricultural waste and replacing diesel in transport. “We’re seeing rising demand for RNG from fleets looking to decarbonize, and breaking ground on these production facilities is a significant step forward,” said Clay Corbus, senior vice-president of renewables at Clean Energy. Maas Energy Works will install its covered-lagoon digester system, which traps methane under plastic sheeting before converting it into usable gas.

The project links two major sources of US greenhouse gases. Agriculture contributes almost a tenth of national emissions, while transportation accounts for more than a quarter. By converting methane into vehicle fuel, the dairies aim to reduce both on-farm emissions and fossil fuel use on the road.

RNG demand has risen sharply as regulators and corporations seek practical routes to lower emissions. The $80mn construction programme is scheduled for completion in 2026, with project economics influenced by carbon credit values, feedstock supply and the pace of fleet adoption.

Operational and regulatory challenges remain, including maintaining gas quality and ensuring compliance across multiple sites. Yet the initiative underscores growing confidence in biogas as a reliable, scalable energy source. By turning agricultural waste into transport fuel, the partners hope to connect rural production with cleaner urban mobility, a model that could soon extend to more states as the US accelerates its low-carbon transition.