Brightmark Energy partners with Larson family farms on Florida biogas project

January 21, 2020. Brightmark Energy, a San Francisco-based waste and energy development company, has partnered with four dairy farms in central Florida to build and operate three anaerobic digesters that will convert a total of 230,000 tons of dairy manure per year from 9,900 cows into renewable natural gas. Brightmark will develop, own, and operate the project.

The project includes the construction of new anaerobic digesters at four Larson family dairy farms in Okeechobee County, including two farms owned by Larson Dairy, Inc. and two farms owned by JM Larson, Inc. After the project is complete, the digesters are anticipated to generate about 171,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas each year. The gas will be delivered into the local interstate gas pipeline system.

“We’re proud to partner with the Larson family, who has a long history as dairy industry leaders in Florida,” said Brightmark Energy CEO Bob Powell. “Projects like these help to provide additional revenue streams for farmers, reduce local air and water impacts and enhance the sustainability efforts of farmers, so this project is a win for the farmers and the local community.”

This is the latest in a series of biogas projects launched by Brightmark Energy in the past two years. The company also has active projects in Washington, Wisconsin, and New York. When the Larson project becomes operational at the end of 2021, Brightmark’s biogas projects will generate enough renewable natural gas to drive a bus 16,281,400 miles each year. The company is developing similar biogas projects nationwide.