What do cows and climate change have to do with each other? Quite a lot as it turns out, and NW Natural has its Smart Energy customers to thank for supporting its innovative carbon offset program.

NW Natural launched Smart Energy in September 2007 by offering quality offsets to its customers, while investing in the development of biogas and other clean energy projects. The ultimate goal: to partner with an Oregon dairy farmer and build a biodigester to reduce methane emissions from cow waste.

Just over a year later, NW Natural partnered with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and Threemile Canyon Farms, LLC (TMCF) to build a first-of-its-kind biodigester. This initial Smart Energy project is being built and will operate at TMCF in Boardman, Oregon. The design, patented by J-U-B ENGINEERS, Inc. out of Kennewick, Washington, is the first phase in a multiphase project and employs a technology that could be implemented at farms of all sizes throughout the region.

This biodigester investment is also the first project funded by the newly incorporated BEF Renewable Incorporated, a for-profit business that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the nonprofit Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The subsidiary business allows investment of foundation dollars in innovative renewable energy projects, which also support the environmental mission of the nonprofit parent organization.

Work has begun on the biodigester and it should be fully operational by fall of 2009. At that point, waste from 1,200 cows – roughly 144,000 lbs. a day, will be added to the biodigester instead of being left on the farm. The first phase of the biodigester will reduce carbon emissions by 1,500 tons which equals the emissions from the natural gas use of more than 400 homes. While the biogas is to be used on site by Threemile Canyon Farms, it would be enough gas to supply about 102 homes.