Atlas Disposal Receives CEC Grant for Nation’s First Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Station

Waste Digestion Technology Will Convert Trash to Gas

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The California Energy Commission today awarded Sacramento-based Atlas Disposal Industries a $300,000 grant to support construction of the nation’s first anaerobic digestion-based Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Station.

“We are pleased that the California Energy Commission sees the importance of moving forward on this ground-breaking facility and is demonstrating its support by helping us fund this project. Powering our fleet and others with renewable natural gas will play an important role in improving the Sacramento region’s air quality”

Atlas Disposal's Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Facility is under construction at the South Area Transfer Station in south Sacramento. The facility will use natural gas produced by converting food and organic waste collected by Atlas Disposal from area food-processing companies, restaurants and supermarkets into renewable natural gas.

One hundred percent of the electricity needed to run the fueling station will be generated by the Organic Waste Recycling Center operated adjacent to the facility.

Clean World Partners is constructing the Organic Waste Recycling Center, a waste-recycling operation that uses anaerobic digestion technology developed at UC Davis to break down food and organic waste material into renewable biogas, electricity, compost and soil amendments.

"We are pleased that the California Energy Commission sees the importance of moving forward on this ground-breaking facility and is demonstrating its support by helping us fund this project. Powering our fleet and others with renewable natural gas will play an important role in improving the Sacramento region’s air quality,” said Dave Sikich, CEO of Atlas Disposal.

The initial 25-ton per day waste-recycling operation will produce 164,000 diesel gallon equivalents annually, enough to fuel approximately 80 school buses for one year. When complete in 2013, the operation will divert 36,500 tons of waste from the region’s landfills, replacing 1 million gallons of diesel per year with renewable natural gas – enough to power 320 school buses – and producing 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually – enough to power 200 Sacramento homes.

Atlas Disposal will develop an educational and interpretive facility on-site to showcase the Sacramento region’s cutting edge commitment to reducing waste while producing renewable energy and creating local jobs.

An estimated 16 jobs will be created and more than $1 million in annual tax revenues will be generated to support the Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Facility and the Organic Waste Recycling Center.

About Atlas Disposal Industries

Established in 1998, Sacramento-based Atlas Disposal Industries focuses on sustainability by educating businesses about their recycling potential, and has emerged as the fastest growing waste and recycling removal company in the area. Atlas Disposal now is the largest independently owned waste and recycling service provider in Sacramento.