Energy Recovery from Wastewater Treatment Plants in the United States A Case Study of the Energy-Water Nexus.docVIP

Sustainability 2010, 2, 945-962; doi:10.3390/su2040945 OPEN ACCESS sustainability ISSN 2071-1050 /journal/sustainability Article Energy Recovery from Wastewater Treatment Plants in the United States: A Case Study of the Energy-Water Nexus Ashlynn S. Stillwell 1,*, David C. Hoppock 2 and Michael E. Webber 3 1 Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C1786, Austin, TX 78712, USA 2 Climate Change Policy Partnership, Duke University, Box 90335, Durham, NC 27708, USA; E-Mail: david.hoppock@ 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C2200, Austin, TX 78712, USA; E-Mail: webber@ * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ashlynn.stillwell@; Tel.: +1-512-475-6867; Fax: +1-512-471-5870. Received: 1 February 2010; in revised form: 10 March 2010 / Accepted: 30 March 2010 / Published: 5 April 2010 Abstract: This manuscript uses data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to analyze the potential for energy recovery from wastewater treatment plants via anaerobic digestion with biogas utilization and biosolids incineration with electricity generation. These energy recovery strategies could help offset the electricity consumption of the wastewater sector and represent possible areas for sustainable energy policy implementation. We estimate that anaerobic digestion could save 628 to 4,940 million kWh annually in the United States. In Texas, anaerobic digestion could save 40.2 to 460 million kWh annually and biosolids incineration could save 51.9 to 1,030 million kWh annually. Keywords: wastewater; energy; biogas; biosolids incineration; energy recovery; policy  Sustainability 2010, 2 946 Nomenclature CWNS: EPA: Clean Watershed Needs Survey Environmental Protection Agency Electric Power Research Institute million gallo