Funded Projects
Retired Offset Projects
Farmer-Owned Distributed Wind Turbines
This project supports installations of German designed 40 kW Aeroman wind turbines that are remanufactured and customized for Midwest conditions with the majority of the turbines installed in Minnesota. With up-front funding, these turbines will help farmers reduce their long-term electricity costs, while helping stabilize the electricity grid with distributed, small scale power generation. 18 turbines were built in 2007. Construction began on 30 additional turbines in 2008.
Port of Tillamook Bay, Oregon Methane Capture Project
In this methane capture project, animal waste is captured in an anaerobic digester where it is stored for a period of time without exposure to outside elements. During this time the methane separates from the solid waste and is then either burned or used to power the farm. Without this project, animal waste would be captured in an open air ‘lagoon’ where the methane is directly released into the atmosphere. This project is particularly beneficial because of the fact that methane is 21 times more powerful of a greenhouse gas than CO2.
The Tillamook Bay methane capture project began on 1 October, 2003. The offset crediting ending date is 31 December, 2025. The project could continue beyond this date, however a new crediting analysis must be conducted at that time. It is projected that during the crediting period 291,300 metric tons of methane will be eliminated from the atmosphere. The Port of Tillamook Bay (POTB) installed the anaerobic digester to service animal waste from eight local dairy farms which are home to approximately 4,000 cows. In order to be eligible for offset generation, the project was subject to rigorous guidelines set forth by the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). Furthermore, the project must demonstrate additionality.
For genuine offsets to be produced, a project must demonstrate that the offsets are generated from actions that would not have occurred without the contribution from offset sales. Without the incentive of offset sales, POTB would not have installed the anaerobic digester or collaborated with the eight local farms and the methane would have been released into the atmosphere as usual. In addition to this, there are no state or federal regulations requiring farms to reduce their methane footprint – in choosing to do so, POTB is further able to prove additionality.
In order to maintain the original quality of the project, the CCX requires the project managers to keep very specific records on file for two years following the introduction of the individual vintage of credits into the market. These records are audited by the CCX periodically to ensure compliance with the project guidelines. Buyers of offsets can contact the CCX to find updated information about specific projects listed in their registry.
Wanner Farm Dairy Farm Methane Capture Project
Seven generations of the Wanner family have developed the Wanner’s Pride-N-Joy Farm located in Narvon, PA, in eastern Lancaster County. The farm was founded in 1840, and is operated today as a dairy by Alfred Wanner and his two sons, Matt and John, with 600 milking cows. Their goal is to keep the farm a viable economic unit for future generations. Based on the Wanner family’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship, a major component of their dairy expansion plans is building the modern and efficient manure management system that will be both labor efficient and improve the environment.
In early 2006, the Wanner’s began to improve their manure management system by constructing increased manure storage capacity, manure solids separation, and an anaerobic digester. The anaerobic digester produces approximately 2,000 kWh of electricity each day, more than 3 times the amount of electricity the farm currently uses. The Wanners sell surplus generic electricity to their power provider and carbon offsets help fund the project. Other benefits from the project include producing digested manure solids, which after composting can be sold to landscaping contractors. Digested manure liquids, which are essentially made odorless by the process, will be irrigated on nearby fields as natural fertilizer. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, so this project prevents methane from entering the atmosphere.
