In a recent press release from the Ohio Department of Development, awards were announced for farm and food waste to energy, several connected with the Agricultural Bioscience Industry Cluster in NE Ohio.  These are excellent examples of our region's growth potential from within, connecting many locally owned enterprises into business ecosystems that minimize waste, provide for our most basic needs like food and energy, and build wealth that stays in NE Ohio.  Congratulations to the awardees, especially those most directly connected to food and agriculture...

Comp Dairy Energy (Dorset Township, Ashtabula County), will receive $1 million to own and operate an anaerobic digester in Dorset Township. The dairy will supply 66 wet tons of manure per day, and a waste hauler will supply 66 wet tons of regional fats, oil, and grease per day to generate more than 4.7 million kWh of electricity and 22,910 MMBtu of thermal heat annually.

French Creek BioEnergy, LLC (Sheffield Village, Lorain County) will receive $1 million to own and operate an anaerobic digester for the City of North Ridgeville's "French Creek" Waste Water Treatment Plant in Sheffield Village. The treatment plant will supply the digester with 20.5 wet tons of biosolids per day, and a waste hauler will supply 57 wet tons of regional biosolids, mixed soaps, and food waste per day to generate approximately 5.5 million kWh of electricity and 13,850 MMBtu of thermal heat annually.

Wooster Renewable Energy, LLC (City of Wooster, Wayne County) will receive $1 million to own and operate an anaerobic digester at the City of Wooster's Water Pollution Control Plant. The treatment plant will supply the digester with 73 wet tons of biosolids per day, and a waste hauler will supply 60 wet tons of regional food waste per day to generate more than 5.7 million kWh of electricity and 25,230 MMBtu of thermal heat annually.

For more information and the complete list of awards, see the press release here.