In which US counties are anaerobic dairy digesters being implemented?

Abstract

There has been limited research on the recent increase in US anaerobic dairy digesters. We use panel data to estimate a double hurdle model that predicts both the probability that a county has a dairy digester and the number of digesters in counties that have them. Dairy farms and retail electricity prices affect dairy digesters, although the parameter estimates are inelastic. Biogas-producing landfills, which reflect policies and infrastructure that enable renewable energy, also affect digesters. Our findings on the conditions that are conducive to dairy digesters will help policymakers consider options for reducing manure methane emissions.