 Enough green energy to power 1,400 homes.

 Reduces greenhouse gases by 20,000 tons/year.

 Saves Palo Alto $1,000,000 per year.
 Energy available during power outages.
Palo Alto’s Dump Will Close Soon
Our Composting Operation would Cease

Palo Alto’s yard waste would get trucked to Gilroy,

generating 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
The Z-Best
Composting
Facility near
Gilroy is 53
miles from
Palo Alto.

Further than:
• Santa Cruz
• San Francisco
• Marin Headlands
• Walnut Creek
• Martinez
• Tracy
Local Threats from Climate Change
• Bay Rise/Flooding
• Water/Food Shortages
• Wildfire Hazards
Palo Alto Should
Be Concerned
about Climate
Change

Without levee
improvements,
much of Palo Alto
would be under-
water in the not-too-
distant future.
The First Rule for Getting Out
of a Hole is to Stop Digging
Palo Alto’s Climate Protection Efforts

 Climate Protection Plan

• 15% CO2 reduction by 2020
• 33% renewable energy by 2015
• Community Environmental Action
Partnership (CEAP)
 Zero Waste Initiative
• 73% diversion by 2011
• 90% diversion by 2021
 Green Building Ordinance
• LEED Silver for commercial
• 70 Build it Green (BIG) points for
residential
Palo Alto Established a Blue Ribbon
Task Force on Composting

The BRTF recommended anaerobic digestion, a

process using microorganisms in enclosed vessels to
break down organic waste into methane and compost.
Three Sources of Organic Waste

60,000 Tons Per Composition of

Year Disposed
Organics
Each Year Palo Alto’s Organics could Fill
a Football Field the Height of City Hall

130,000
Cubic
Yards
 Palo Alto Has One of Only Two
Sewage Sludge Incinerators in CA

Impacts

• 6,000 tons of CO2

produced per year.

• $800,000 worth of
energy used in 2009.

• $234,000 paid to
dispose of waste ash.
Anaerobic Digestion Waste Transformation
21,000 tons Yard & Food
Yard Trimmings 13,500 tons
garden & farm
& up to 22,000
tons compost
Food &
Compostables Biosolids
16,000
5,600 tons
tons
commercial
Wastewate
compost
r
Biosolids Methane

Usable heat
For wastewater
processes Generator
Green electricity
for 1,400 homes

AD could reduce our greenhouse gases by 20,000

tons/year
The Potential for Anaerobic Digestion
 60,000 Tons of Waste Processed
• Yard trimmings
• Food scraps
• Sewage sludge
• Non-recyclable paper
 20,000 Tons of Greenhouse Gas Reductions
• Eliminates sewage sludge incineration
• Converts waste to renewable energy
• Reduces landfill methane
• Eliminates waste hauling
 Savings & Revenue
• $1.4 million/year in green energy
• $800,000 energy from incineration
• $234,000 from eliminating waste ash
• $200,000 from compost sales
• $1 million in tipping fees
• Carbon dioxide offsets
 Anaerobic Digestion
Would Save Palo Alto Money
Expense/Revenue Item Offsite AD
Initial Capital Cost 0 $13.75 mil.
Annualized Capital Cost 0 $19.64/ton
Estimated Operating Cost $41/ton $38.22/ton
Revenues - Product Sale 0 -$8.33/ton
Revenues - Electricity Sales 0 -$21.04/ton
Revenues - Other Sales (CO2) 0 -$1.55/ton
Total Net Cost Per Ton $41 $26.94
Possible Funding Sources

 Refuse Fund
 Calaveras Fund
 PaloAltoGreen
 Government grants
 Venture capital
 Public/private partnership
 The Site would be at the Landfill
Next to the Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Facility Would Require Undedication of
10 Acres (8%) of the 126-Acre Byxbee Park
An Equal Amount of Parkland could be
Dedicated Elsewhere in Palo Alto

Former Los Altos Water Treatment Plant site

Savings from an AD Facility could Help
Maintain our World-Class Parks

Foothills Park
Or Complete 92% of Byxbee Park
(no funds currently exist)
 To Qualify the Initiative for the November
Ballot we Must Collect 4,356 Valid Signatures
 Pros of Initiative Cons
Keeps Palo Alto’s composting operation and distribution Byxbee Park would be
local. slightly smaller.

Enables Palo Alto to compost food waste.

Allows Palo Alto to retire its sewage sludge incinerator.

Generates enough green energy to power 1,400 homes.

Energy will be available during emergency blackouts.

Reduces citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 20,000

tons per year.

Saves the City $1,000,000 per year.

Revenues could be used to complete 92% of Byxbee

Park (no funds currently exist).

Provides an excellent educational opportunity for school

groups and others.

Serves as a model for other communities, reinforcing

Palo Alto’s status as an environmental leader.