The Agriculture Department, Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency today released a program of voluntary actions that the livestock industry and the dairy industry in particular can take to reduce methane emissions and turn the methane into biogas.

The program is part of President Barack Obama’s Climate Action Plan.

“Methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted in the United States from human activities, responsible for about nine percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,” USDA said in a blogpost today.

“Use of biogas reduces emissions of methane reduces the emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels, and supports the Administration’s “all-of-the-above” energy strategy.”

Bruce Knight, a Natural Resources Conservation Service chief in the George W. Bush administration, said in an email, “This is a significant step forward and shows where voluntary actions can make a difference.”

▪ USDA, EPA, Department of Energy — Biogas Opportunities Roadmap
▪ — Fact Sheet
▪ USDA Blog: New Biogas Opportunities Roadmap is Part of Climate Change Solution, Emerging Biogas Industry Offers New Revenue Opportunities for America’s Farmers