City of San Jose - Waste Water Treatment Methane Capture
« Return to List of Projects
The San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant is one of the largest advanced wastewater treatment facilities in California. Initiated in 1998, it treats and cleans the wastewater of over 1,500,000 people that live and work in the 300-square mile area encompassing San Jose, Santa Clara, and six other nearby cities. This facility, while efficiently operated, is one of the largest energy users in the area. However, electricity generated from biogas provides at least 49% of the power needed to run facility and the plan is to eventually provide 100% of the power onsite. Methane for electrical generation is collected both from the nearby Newby Island Landfill and the digestion of organic materials yielded by wastewater treatment processes.
In recognition of the commitment to renewable energy at this facility, the City of San Jose has been awarded a spot on the Top Ten Local Governments list of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership. The EPA Green Power Partnership is a program to support the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide.