Northeast Biogas Initiative

At A Glance

Contact: 

Elyssa Serrilli

Location: 

Amherst, Massachusetts

Primary Issue Area:

  • Living Economies
  • Climate Change & Energy
  • Food
  • Environmental Health

Active since:

2020

Core volunteers:

12

Community Size:

29,200

  • What can you feed a biodigester?

Our Purpose

Northeast Biogas Initiative is a community collaboration for biogas education and the development of simple, affordable, small-scale methane biodigesters. Our mission is to mitigate social injustices and environmental imbalances caused by fossil fuel dependence, while increasing local capacity to be part of a full circle food-waste-fuel-food system. Northeast Biogas actively increases small-scale biogas production through strategic partnerships with community partners on the front lines of climate change and agriculture, such as small farms, homesteads, universities, community gardens, co-housing communities, and restaurants. We are based in Massachusetts, where full implementation of biogas will lead to at least a 10% reduction in carbon emissions.  We work with with community partners like UMass and Nuestras Raíces to a) outfit farms, schools and community institutions with small-scale biogas technology and accessories well matched to their needs, their culture, and the climate of our bioregion, b) train farm staff, students and the broader community in biogas system implementation, and c) co-develop, field test and vet affordable, cold hardy small-scale biogas technologies with members of our Advisory Council and Working Groups.  Our community partners a) grow local, renewable, carbon-neutral fuel and fertilizer from wastes, b) reduce their carbon footprint, c) process organic wastes on site, d) save money, and e) increase their health and well being.