Anaerobic digesters are among the new technologies that hold promise as an emerging source of energy. Dairy farms now use digesters to decompose cow manure to produce methane that is cleaned and put into pipelines to provide electricity, fuel vehicles and heat homes. Researchers at ASU’s Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, led by Fulton Schools Professor Bruce Rittmann, are working to improve digester systems and use them in multiple industries. The goal is to enable them to extract more energy out of waste materials while also extracting nutrients and potable water. If more energy can be generated from waste, the systems could attract more investment and might even become part of effective climate-smart efforts.  

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