Toolkit for Expiring Landfill Gas Electricity Power Purchase Agreements
Through this resource, LMOP provides information on options that landfill owners and other owners of landfill gas (LFG) electricity projects may have when their power purchase agreement (PPA) is nearing expiration. In this context, a PPA is a contract between a renewable energy generator and purchaser that defines all the business terms of the agreement between the parties. Most PPAs are between 10 and 20 years in length.
LMOP's mission is to reduce methane emissions from landfills by encouraging the recovery and beneficial use of biogas generated from municipal solid waste. In many cases, continuing to operate an LFG energy project is feasible and is the best way to destroy methane while also generating renewable energy. However, based on landfill conditions or economic factors, it may not be possible to continue an energy project. For these situations, we present responsible ways to shut down your energy project while employing best practices to mitigate methane emissions.
Select from the three main choices below to access pages with information about options that may be right for your landfill. Each main choice leads to various options with specific criteria, pros and cons, economic considerations and other information to help guide the decision-making process.
If conditions are feasible for LFG energy project operations:
Or, if conditions are not feasible for LFG energy project operations:
This resource is intended to provide information to LMOP stakeholders, not to provide legal or investment guidance on specific project decisions. Options presented are not exhaustive and should be carefully evaluated based on site-specific landfill and project conditions as well as any regulatory or permit requirements. Any references to private entities, products or services are strictly for informational purposes and do not constitute an endorsement. This resource includes links to non-EPA references that provide additional information; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by these third-party sites.