Buses Fueled by Trash? San Antonio Makes It Work

San Antonio slashes CO₂ by 85% using landfill gas to fuel 400+ buses, offering cities a bold roadmap to clean, scalable transit.

10 Jul 2025

San Antonio is turning trash into go-power. In a bold move to cut pollution and diesel dependence, the city now fuels more than 400 VIA Metropolitan Transit buses with renewable natural gas captured from its own landfill.

The fuel comes from the Tessman Road landfill, where more than 260 wells collect methane—one of the most potent greenhouse gases. That gas gets cleaned, upgraded to pipeline quality, and piped directly to VIA’s buses. The shift is saving seven million gallons of diesel a year and cutting carbon emissions by up to 85%.

The effort is the result of a three-way partnership between Republic Services, CPS Energy, and energy developer EDL. The idea is simple: turn the byproducts of yesterday's waste into today's clean fuel.

“This isn’t just about cleaner buses,” said a Republic Services spokesperson. “It’s about showing that waste can be a resource, not just something we bury.”

It’s a message that’s catching on. Republic Services now plans to build over 40 similar landfill gas projects around the country by 2030.

Unlike electric buses, which require costly charging stations and have limited range, RNG-powered buses use existing fuel systems and refuel quickly. That makes them a practical choice for cities looking to clean up their fleets without overhauling infrastructure.

Of course, challenges remain. Smaller landfills may not generate enough gas to be viable, and making sure methane capture systems don’t leak is crucial. But advances in monitoring tech and more public-private partnerships are helping to scale the model.

For San Antonio, the results speak for themselves. Cleaner air, lower fuel costs, and a transit system powered by the very waste it used to throw away. Other cities might want to start digging around for similar solutions.